Grilled Pork with Anise-Seed Rub and Mango Mojo
Lose your mojo? Here’s a way to get it back. I found this Caribbean influenced pork recipe years ago in Gourmet Magazine and it remains one of my faves. The spicy pepper and anise seed perfectly complement the tangy, sweet mojo. I have this pipe dream of opening a cool, modern Jamaican restaurant in Chicago. Bamboo floors, loud chill Reggae music playing, giant rum drinks. Unfortunately the Hard Rock Hotel beat me to it with a restaurant called Mr. Brown’s Lounge. Haven’t been, but it sounds good. Never the less, if I do open my place, this pork dish will be the first thing on my menu. I paired it here with spicy jerk fries, but it would also go well with a black bean corn salad or Caribbean style coleslaw.
Ingredients
Mango Mojo
1 large mango, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 large garlic clove
1 T chopped fresh jalapeño (you can leave in seeds if you desire)
½ to 3/4 tsp kosher salt (start with ½ tsp. you can always add more)
2 T finely chopped fresh cilantro
Anise-Seed Rub
1 T anise seeds
3/4 tsp black peppercorns
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
3 T olive oil
Pork
1 – pork tenderloin anywhere from 1.5lb to 2.5 lbs or 4 (3/4-inch-thick) loin pork chops, trimmed
Instructions
Make mojo
Purée mango, lime juice, garlic, jalapeño, and salt in a blender.
Add cilantro and puree for 3 seconds.
Make rub and marinate pork
Finely grind anise seeds and peppercorns in an electric coffee/spice grinder
with salt and sugar.
Transfer mixture to a small bowl and stir in oil.
Liberally brush the rub onto the pork.
Place in a plastic bag and marinate for 1 hour up to 8 hours
Grill pork
Preheat grill to medium/high heat.
Grill pork until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees, turning every 5 minutes so that the pork is evenly cooked, roughly 15 to 20 minutes.
Transfer to a platter and let stand, loosely covered, 5 minutes.
If using pork chops, grill roughly 4 to 5 minutes a side
Slice pork and serve with mojo.
Jamaican Jerk Oven Fries
Ingredients
3 large baking potatoes (peeled or unpeeled your choice) cut into 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks
2 T olive oil or avocado oil
1 heaping T of Spice Hunter Salt Free Jamaican Jerk seasoning or 1 heaping T of McCormick Jerk seasoning NOTE* if you use McCormick you may not need additional salt
Heaping ½ tsp Kosher Salt
Cooking spray
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the oil, Jerk seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon salt ( if using McCormick you may not need additional salt).
Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and spread the potatoes in a single layer.
Bake until golden and crisp, about 35 minutes.
Remove the fries with a spatula and if needed season with salt and pepper.
HEARTFUL RECIPE - Use heritage pork or get it from Whole Foods where their meat meets Animal Welfare Standards if possible. Butter in moderation is fine, unless you are completely dairy-free. - One of our real food recipes that focuses on veggies, protein, healthy fats and/or healthy carbs and doesn't include gluten, dairy, soy, refined sugar, corn or peanuts.
