BBQ Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Avocado Crema
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the Pork Tenderloin:
- 1 pound pork tenderloin silver skin removed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard powder
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- ¼ cup store-bought BBQ sauce I use The New Primal Classic
For the Avocado Crema:
- 1 ripe avocado
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 jalapeño seeds removed and roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice about 1 lime
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup fresh dill fronds roughly chopped (sub in fresh cilantro)
For the Zucchini:
- 3 zucchini cut in ½-inch rounds on the diagonal (yellow squash works great here too)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For Serving:
- 2 cups prepared rice or cauliflower rice
- Fresh dill for garnish
Instructions
Prepare the Pork Tenderloin:
- Place the pork tenderloin on a baking sheet and pat dry. Brush with the olive oil so that it is evenly coated.
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, mustard powder, and coconut sugar and stir to combine. Season the pork tenderloin all over until evenly coated in the seasoning rub. Set aside to allow it to come to room temperature, about 15 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, Make the Avocado Crema:
- Using an immersion blender in a wide-mouth jar or blender, combine all of the crema ingredients and blend until just smooth. Set aside until ready to serve.
Prepare the Zucchini:
- Place the zucchini in a bowl. Add the oil, salt, and pepper. Toss until well coated.
Grill the Pork and Veggies:
- Heat grill over medium-high heat (350-400℉) and oil the grill grates. To do this, dip a wadded paper towel in a little oil and, using tongs, wipe the oil evenly over the grate. Be careful not to use too much oil, because that's a sure-fire way to start a good flare-up; a little goes a long way here.
- Using tongs, transfer the pork to the grill. Close the grill until the pork is cooked to your preference, flipping once halfway through but before flipping, using a brush, baste the tenderloin with the BBQ sauce so that it is well-coated. Continue to cook until done, I like mine at 150℉ for medium. It typically takes a total of 12-15 minutes.
- When the pork is almost done, lay the zucchini in a single layer and grill and cook until tender and grill marks form, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- When the pork is done, transfer to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Remove the veggies from the grill and set aside.
To Serve:
- Slice the pork into rounds and serve over prepared rice alongside the grilled zucchini, a dollop of the avocado crema, and some fresh dill (or cilantro) for garnish.
Notes
To ensure your pork is cooked to your preferred doneness, I cannot recommend using a meat thermometer. I love the Yummly thermometer to take all the guesswork out of cooking meat.