Gina Ferwerda’s Grilled Cherry-Chipotle Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Salsa recipe

Grilled Cherry-Chipotle Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Salsa (Serves 4)

This is an easy yet impressive recipe for summer if you don’t have a lot of time. Gina Ferwerda, recipe developer and cookbook author says, you can marinate this ahead of time and when you are ready to grill, this dish can be ready in less than 30 minutes. If you’re looking for a go-to salsa, this is her favorite recipe, whether or not you have fresh cherries. The adobo sauce is spicy, but brown sugar and cherries tone it down. 

Ingredients:

1 whole pork tenderloin (approximately 1 pound) 

Marinade

• ½ cup vegetable oil 
• ½ cup tart Montmorency cherry juice
• ¼ cup brown sugar 
• Juice and zest of 2 limes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced  
• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce 
• 1 teaspoon salt

Cherry
Salsa

• 6 vine-ripened tomatoes, cored (or 28 ounces canned tomatoes) 
• ½ small onion, peeled (¼ cup) 
• 1 small jalapeño, trimmed and seeded 
• 2 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon House Seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic, onion and smoked paprika)
• 1 cup sweet cherries, pitted and divided use
• Trim any fat or silverskin from the pork.

MAKE
MARINADE

In
a small bowl, mix together all marinade ingredients. Reserve 2 tablespoons of marinade,
and pour the rest over the pork tenderloin in a resealable bag. Refrigerate the
bag for at least 2 hours, or up to 12.   

MAKE
SALSA

Add
all Cherry Salsa ingredients, except for ½ cup of the sweet cherries, to a food
processor. Roughly chop the reserved cherries and set aside. Process the salsa
ingredients for 20 to 30 seconds. Pour the salsa into a small bowl, then mix in
the remaining chopped cherries. Cover and refrigerate until
assembly.  

PREPARE
PORK

Preheat
grill to medium-high heat. 

Remove
pork from marinade, and discard used marinade. Grill pork for 12 to 15 minutes,
turning halfway through. Brush the pork with the reserved 2 tablespoons of
marinade while grilling. Remove from grill, lightly tent with foil and let rest
for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. (Internal temperature should reach 145ºF
for a slight pink inside or up to 160ºF for well-done.) 

ASSEMBLE

Place
pork on a cutting board and cut into desired slices. Sprinkle cut slices with
Smoked House Seasoning. Drizzle ½ cup cherry salsa over pork, and garnish with
fresh cilantro. 

NOTE

1
cup sweet cherries = approximately 20 cherries 

Salsa
makes approximately 3 cups. 

Oven-roasting instead of grilling: Heat a cast-iron skillet to medium heat and add marinated pork tenderloin. Cook for 1 minute each side, or until browned, then transfer to oven at 400º F for 20 to 30 minutes.

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