When you raise pork, you spend a lot of time thinking about how to let the meat speak for itself. Good pork doesn’t need a complicated recipe. it needs the right treatment. This Spanish inspired tapas dish is a great example.
I came across this recipe from Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street and was immediately drawn to the simplicity of it. It takes an old-style Spanish preparation, skips the skewers, and builds plenty of flavor with a simple blend of spices, a quick sear, and a bright finish of lemon, garlic, and honey.
And if you’re looking for a great way to use pork tenderloin, this is one I’d put near the top of the list. The tenderloin cooks quickly and stays wonderfully juicy when you don’t take it too far.
You can serve the pork over rice, alongside roasted vegetables, or tucked into lettuce cups. We especially like it with couscous and roasted carrots. The smoky spices, sweet honey, and fresh lemon make a really nice match for pasture-raised pork.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1- to 1½-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 large garlic clove, finely grated
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
Directions
Keep those pork pieces on the bigger side. If you cut them smaller than about an inch, they’ll cook through before you have a chance to build that beautiful browned crust.
In a medium bowl, combine the coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¾ teaspoon pepper. Add the pork and toss well, working the seasoning into the meat until every piece is coated and there’s no dry rub left in the bowl.
Let the pork rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, or up to an hour. This gives the seasoning a chance to settle into the meat while you get everything else ready.
Meanwhile, combine the lemon juice, honey, and grated garlic in a small bowl. Set it aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the pork in a single layer. Give the pieces some room—crowding the pan will make them steam instead of sear.
Let the pork cook without moving it for about 3 minutes, until the first side is deeply browned. Using tongs, turn the pieces and continue cooking, turning occasionally, until they’re browned all over and cooked through, another 2 to 3 minutes.
Take the skillet off the heat and pour the lemon-garlic-honey mixture over the pork. Toss everything together so that the warm pork gets coated in that bright, sweet, garlicky finish.
Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with the fresh oregano, drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and serve with lemon wedges.
A Simple Reminder
Don’t overcook your pork. Pork tenderloin is naturally tender, and it’s at its best when it stays juicy. A little blush of pink in the center is just fine as long as the pork has reached a safe internal temperature.
And don’t skip that squeeze of fresh lemon at the table. It might seem like a small thing, but that last bit of acidity really brings the spices, garlic, honey, and pork together.
For us, that’s the beauty of a recipe like this: start with well-raised pork, keep the preparation simple, and let good ingredients do the work.