Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloin

Jerk is an important component of traditional Caribbean cuisine. When trying to prepare Jerk-style dishes, you have to find the right type of ingredients that will yield the desirable taste and texture. In order to cook Jamaican Jerk pork tenderloin at home, you will have to shop around in local supermarkets and grocery stores that have a large selection of international items. Jamaican Jerk seasoning is typically sold on shelves that contain various ethnic spices and other additives. This type of seasoning should be a fine powder with a distinct reddish and brownish texture that is derived from the main ingredients such as hot red peppers. After purchasing Jamaican Jerk seasoning, you should select some prime cuts of pork tenderloin in the meat department of your local grocery store. Ideally, you want to buy a relatively lean piece of pork tenderloin.

The first step in preparing an authentic Jamaican-style Jerk pork tenderloin dish involves the handling of the meat. Be sure to remove most of the fat layers from the pork tenderloin. You can also use a knife to probe and poke through the meat in order to make some holes that will absorb some of the Jerk seasoning. You can also enhance the Jerk seasoning by adding a mixture of your own personalized ingredients such as onions, garlic, thyme, vinegar and salt. Remember that Jamaican cuisine is supposed to be very spicy, so don’t hold back on such ingredients. You can chop such items and then throw them into a powerful mixer that can process them into a paste but not a liquid form. Liberally apply the Jerk seasoning and your own spice mixture onto the outer layers of the pork tenderloin. You can then place the meat into an oven that is set to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The total cooking time for a Jamaican Jerk pork tenderloin should be just over one hour. Use a meat thermometer to ensure that the thickest part of the pork reaches about 150 degrees Fahrenheit.