Spicy Pan-Seared Pork Loin with Asparagus

by | Updated: December 4th, 2016

Pork is so much more than ham and cheese or bacon and egg. It’s the other white meat that’s tender, juicy and takes well to marinades. You’ve neglected it for far too long, which why you’re getting the chance to make up for lost time. This pan-seared pork loin recipe is inspired by a mojo you’d use to make carne asada. It’s livened with citrus, cilantro jalapeno and garlic. In other words, “bored” and “basic” are the farthest from your mouth.

Sliced pan-seared pork loin on wood with herbs #paleo #recipe | www.vitacost.com/blog

Spicy Pan-Seared Pork Loin with Asparagus

Ingredients

Juice of 1 small orange
2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted & divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
¼ cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 tsp. cumin
2 pasture-raised pork tenderloins
2 bunches asparagus
1 shallots, minced

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, mix together first 6 ingredients until well combined.
  2. Place tenderloins in a glass baking dish and cover thoroughly with marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
  3. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking and preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
  4. In a medium bowl, toss asparagus and shallots with reserved coconut oil. Place on baking sheet and move to preheated oven.
  5. Heat cast iron skillet over medium flame. Sear tenderloins in skillet approximately four minutes, one minute per side until browned evenly. Move skillet to oven and cook 10 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F.
  6. Turn off oven, remove skillet and loosely cover with foil to rest 5 – 10 minutes.
  7. Remove asparagus-shallot mixture from oven once it asparagus turns bright green and shallots are soft.
  8. Plate pork and veggies for a spicy but well-balanced meal.
Paleoista

Nell Stephenson is a nutritionist, author and speaker based in Los Angeles.
She has been featured multiple times on the Dr. Oz Show as a nutrition expert and offers cooking/healthy eating workshops, retreats and private nutrition coaching. With a focus on organic, in-season produce, humanely-sourced local proteins and a balanced approach to eating, her methodology leads to long-term success with specialized eating strategies, helping all clients achieve their goals, even within the busiest of schedules! Nell is an accomplished Ironman triathlete and marathon runner.