Rum Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Salsa #FantasticalFoodFight

Our theme for Fantastical Food Fight this month is RUM.....Put me in coach!!!  Our coach being Sarah of Fantastical Sharing of Recipes and founder of Fantastical Food Fight.

I LOVE rum.....I love Island life....I love the tropics....I love scuba diving....I love alcohol.....I love girly drinks....I  love umbrella drinks....I love fruity drinks......

I refuse to make a drink for this month's challenge!!

It was very difficult for me not to make a drink.  Rum drinks hold a special place in my heart.  We enjoy Mojitos.  We love adding rum to teas, like this SpIced Tea and this Roobois Tea.  We serve Rum Punch at nearly every dive party we have. I added it to this Indian Mango Cooler and we serve it hot and buttery during the cold winter months.

I didn't want to serve it in a dessert!!

Though I love rum desserts and have shared several.  This Spiced Rum Pumpkin Cake is awesome. You will be proud to serve up this gorgeous Pina Colada Trifle.  I even use it in my Grandma's Raisin Bread.

I knew I wanted to use it in a savory presentation!!

I just wasn't sure what I should make.  I had previously shared recipes for Pulled Pork containing Rum.  Knowing that Rum and Pork are so compatible I decided to try it again.

I found this recipe for Rum Glazed Pork Tenderloin by Bobby Flay and immediately knew that I wanted to make it for this Fight.  I changed things up a bit to make it my own, pulled on my boxing gloves and jumped into the ring.

I did make some adjustments to the recipe.  Most notably, I used our homemade Rib Rub to flavor the meat and omitted some of the spices in the glaze.  I also grilled the scallions along with the pineapple for the salsa, and substituted pineapple juice for chicken broth.  Other than that just simple substitutions to use what I had on hand.

I served this up at a dinner party for some of my sister in law's family who came to visit while she was in town.  It was a huge hit.  The pork was cooked to a perfect medium rare which is perfectly acceptable by the USDA.  It was tender and juicy.

The salsa was the perfect accompaniment to the meat.  Slightly acidic, full of flavor with just a touch of heat from the jalapenos.

Rum Glazed Pork Tenderloin

adapted from Bobby Flay

4 T. olive oil

1/2  sweet onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, smashed

3 T. dark brown sugar

1 c. dark rum

2 c. pineapple juice

1/2 jalapeno pepper, chopped

2 Pork Tenderloins, silver skin removed

World's Best Rib Rub (recipe here)

Sprinkle both sides of the tenderloins with the rib rub massaging it in. Set aside while making the sauce.

In a large saucepan over med high heat cook the onion and garlic in the oil until softened and fragrant. Add the brown sugar, rum, juice and jalapeno to the pan.  Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half, stirring occasionally.  Set aside.

Heat a grill to med high heat.  Grill the tenderloins, occasionally brushing with the sauce until crisp and charred on the outside and an internal temperature of 145* is reached.  Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with Pineapple Salsa (recipe below).  Print Recipe

Grilled Pineapple Salsa

adapted from Bobby Flay

1 pineapple, peeled, cored and sliced into 1/2" rounds

1 bunch scallions, ends trimmed and outer leaves removed

1 T. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced

juice of 1 lime

1 t. agave syrup

Brush the pineapple and scallions with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Grill over med high heat until slightly charred and grill marks appear.  Remove from grill.  Chop the pineapple into chunks and place in a bowl.  Slice the scallions and add to the pineapple.  Place the lime juice, agave and jalapeno in a small jar with a lid and shake until emulsified.  Pour over the pineapple mixture and toss to coat. Print Recipe

More Rum Recipes included in this Rumble

An InLinkz Link-up