Elevate your taste buds to new heights with this Roast Pork Tenderloin with Chocolate-Chile Sauce, infused with the delicious richness of Chocolate San José 70% Dark Chocolate!
Recipe by Chef Amalia Moreno-Damgaard
Ingredients
Makes about 2 cups of sauce
- 2 large Roma tomatoes
- 2 medium tomatillos, husked
- 2 ancho chiles, seeded, torn into small pieces
- 3 pitted prunes
- 1 tablespoon ground pan-roasted pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon ground pan-roasted sesame seeds
Seasonings
- 1/2 teaspoon ground canela (Ceylon cinnamon)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 8 pieces Chocolate San José (70% Dark Chocolate)
- 1 (1-1/2 lbs.) pork tenderloin
- Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano, crumbled
- 2 teaspoons achiote powder
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
Preparation
- Preheat a skillet over medium heat for 1 min. Char tomatoes and tomatillos until very soft, about 8 mins.
- Place the chiles and prunes in a cup, cover with water, microwave until very hot for 1-1/2 minutes, then soak for 10 minutes.
- While chiles and prunes soak, dry pan toast the seeds, separately, over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, keeping a close eye not to burn them. Grind the seeds in a coffee mill or food processor.
- In a blender, combine the roasted tomatoes, tomatillos, soaked chiles and prunes (drained), 1/4 cup of the soaking water, ground seeds, and all the seasonings. Blend to a fine consistency.
- Pour sauce into the skillet used for toasting. Heat over medium heat. Add the chocolate. Stir and heat until well combined for 2 minutes. Turn the heat off. Keep warm.
- Rub the pork tenderloin with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, achiote, and oil, and sear it on a hot skillet until medium brown all over. Finish cooking it in the skillet in a toaster oven (or regular oven) until medium rare (145°F) or to desired doneness. Cover the tenderloin with a piece of foil for 10 minutes.
- Slice the tenderloin and serve with the sauce as desired.
