Okay so I had this chunk of pork tenderloin sitting in the fridge begging to be cooked. Figured why not jazz it up with some tropical salsa vibes? Grabbed my trusty cast iron pan and got rolling.
First things first – the salsa. Chopped up super ripe mango and pineapple into tiny cubes. Messy job but so worth it. Tossed those into a bowl with diced red onion, a handful of torn cilantro, and the juice of two limes. Poured in a glug of olive oil too. Mixed it all up real good and tasted – whoa it was tangy! Added a pinch of salt until the flavors popped. Let that hang out in the fridge while I dealt with the meat.
Working on the tenderloin
Took the pork out and patted it dry with paper towels. This step matters cause moisture is the enemy of good searing. Rubbbed it all over with olive oil then went crazy with salt and pepper. Like seriously coated every inch.
Heated the pan until it was smoking hot. Dropped that pork in and heard the magical sizzle! Didn’t touch it for a solid 4 minutes to get that golden crust. Flipped it and repeated on the other side. Whole thing took about 12 minutes total to hit 145°F inside – poked my meat thermometer in and out like ten times cause I’m paranoid.
The magic resting period
This part kills me every time. Pulled the meat off the heat onto a plate and just walked away for 5 whole minutes. Stabbed it with a fork? Nope. Cut it open? Not a chance. Watched the juices pooling on that plate knowing they’d soak back in.
Sliced it thick while the salsa chilled. Arranged the rosy pork slices on a platter with the bright salsa piled high on top. Those colors together? Chef’s kiss. Sweet and sour fruit against savory juicy pork – total fireworks. My kids even ate the onions cause the mango hid them. Win!
