Grilled Whole Pork Tenderloin With Colored Peppers Over Polenta
Pork tenderloin is first rubbed with a wet rub and then grilled while the polenta is made ahead of time as well as the peppers. The pork is juicy and full of flavor and the peppers are colorful and tasty over the polenta.
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time25 minutes mins
Resting time10 minutes mins
Total Time45 minutes mins
Course: main dish
Cuisine: Italian and American
Servings: 8
Calories: 1011kcal
Pork
- 2-- 1-pound pork tenderloin, trimmed.
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 Tablespoon sage finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon rosemary finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon tarragon finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon peppers
Peppers
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme divided
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 4 anchovy fillets drained and finely minced (this really does add to the flavor)
- 3 multi-colored bell peppers cut into 1 ½ inch pieces.
- 2 Tablespoons fresh Italian parsley
Polenta
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup polenta -- not instant
For the pork
Whisk the olive oil with the garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper. Place the trimmed pork tenderloins on a plate and rub with the olive oil mixture. Don't be shy with the rub. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours.
In the meantime get the grill ready for indirect heat -- this means that the coals are on one side of the grill and the meat will cook on the other side with a drip pan underneath.
Heat the grill to a temperature of 350 F. Place the tenderloins on the opposite side of the coals, turning occasionally so that the tenderloins cook evenly. When they reach a temperature of 145 F ( about 30 minutes) take them off the grill and let them rest on a platter loosely tented with foil. Let the meat rest for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Peppers
Preheat oven to 180 F. ( a warm oven)
Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a pan on medium-high and swirl the oil to coat. Add 1 teaspoon thyme, garlic, anchovies, and bell peppers to pan; cook about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. The peppers should still have some crunch. Place pan with peppers in the oven to keep warm.
Polenta
In a large saucepan pour the milk, broth, salt and pepper and the polenta. Starting off cold with all the ingredients ensures that the polenta is creamy and never lumpy. Bring all of the ingredients to a boil whisking constantly. Reduce heat to a simmer. Continue to cook and stir often making sure you scrape the sides. After about 30 minutes the polenta will be quite thick and will form large bubbles and pull away from the pan. It will continue to firm as it cools.** Pour it into a casserole, cover, and keep it warm in the oven along with the peppers.
- ** This is the time when you could add cheese if you wished. Stir until it is melted and well-blended.
Calories: 1011kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 131g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 402mg | Sodium: 1903mg | Potassium: 2775mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2285IU | Vitamin C: 87.4mg | Calcium: 169mg | Iron: 7.5mg