Pork Tenderloin with Chimichurri

What is Chimichurri??? Chimichurri (Spanish pronunciation: [tʃimiˈtʃuri]) or Chimmichurri is a sauce used for grilled meat. It is originally from Argentina^[1][2] but is also used in Uruguay and in countries as far north as Nicaragua, Colombia and Mexico.Chimichurri is made from finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, and white or red vinegar. Additional flavorings such as paprika, cumin, thyme, lemon, and bay leafmay be included. In its red version, tomato and red bell pepper may also be added. It can also be used as a marinade for grilled meat.

Pork Tenderloin with Chimichurri and Mixed Veggies

I used to find myself omitting ingredients from recipes because I didn't like them. I have, however, found that oftentimes it is important to keep those ingredients in a recipe so that the combination of flavors can do their thing. Example: I don't like to taste lemon in my food. This recipe takes lemon. Normally I would've taken it out, but I put it in there anyway, and realized how important it was to have that acidic flavor so it could mesh with the red wine vinegar. The chimichurri sauce is so delicious that I now double that part of the recipe! BTW, I was pleasantly surprised that I couldn't actually taste the lemon flavor anyway. : )

Pork Tenderloin with Chimichurri

Prep Time:              15 min.

Inactive Prep Time:  35 min.

Cook Time:             10 min.

Serves:                    4-8 people

Ingredients:

Chimichurri:

6 garlic cloves, peeled & minced

2 jalapenos, seeded & minced

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

About 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

About 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh oregano leaves

3 limes OR lemons, juiced... OR... I used 1/3 cup lemon juice

1 cup EVOO

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp crushed ground pepper

Meat:

2 pork tenderloins (about 1 lb. each) trimmed of excess fat, patted dry

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

EVOO

Lemon OR Lime juice for drizzling

Parsley sprigs, for garnish

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, jalapeno & vinegar. Stir in the parsley, oregano, and lemon/lime juice. Whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside at room temperature to allow the flavors to marry.

Reserve 1/2 cup of the chimichurri to serve and marinate the pork in the rest. Put the pork and marinade in a sealable plastic bag and set aside in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat outdoor grill or oven broiler to high.

Remove the pork from the marinade, wiping off any excess. Discard marinade. Season both sides with a generous amount of salt & pepper. Drizzle with EVOO and place on the grill OR under broiler. Grill the pork on the hottest part of the BBQ for 4 minutes per side, until well charred. Allow the tenderloin to rest for about 5 minutes prior to slicing. Spoon some chimichurri over the meat, drizzle with lime OR lemon juice, garnish with parsley, and serve with the remaining sauce at the table. 

MIXED VEGGIES:

The mixed veggies in this dish is simply sliced red bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Drizzle with EVOO in a bowl with salt & pepper. Grill (in grill basket or wrapped in aluminum foil) until onions are soft and/or slightly charred.