The beauty of this meal is that you’re going to use your grill for both components, the meat and the corn salad. For the non meat eaters in the crowd, they can enjoy the full-bodied Grilled Corn & Avocado Salad with Creamy Feta Dressing as their entrée.
But for those who indulge in meat, this pork recipe couldn’t be much simpler. Butterflied and pounded thin, the pork tenderloins are first marinated in a lively mix of lime, chile and spices then cooked quickly over a hot grill.
It’s a good idea to grill your veggies first, so that while they cool and you assemble the salad, the meat can be grilled and rested for 5 minutes. We happened to have a head of Bibb lettuce that needed to be used up so it only made sense to use that instead of running out to the store for a head of romaine—and it worked perfectly.
With only two of us for dinner, I decided not to cut the second avocado until the next day and therefore only dressed half of the salad to be eaten with dinner, saving the remainder for lunch on the following day. The extra dressing was put in small containers and topped the salad, along with leftover strips of pork, when ready to eat.
NOTE: Next time we would double the amount of scallions. Once cooked down and charred, six scallions didn’t have nearly enough presence. Use an entire bunch!
Grilled Chile-Spiced Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs. ground chile powder, such as ancho, California, or New Mexico
- 2 tsp. finely grated lime zest
- 2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
- 1 Tbs. olive oil; more for the grill
- 1 Tbs. finely chopped jalapeño
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- Kosher salt
- 2 pork tenderloins (2 to 2-1/2 lb. total)
- Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
- Lime wedges, for serving
Directions
- In a small bowl, combine the chile powder, lime zest and juice, oil, jalapeño, garlic, cumin, oregano, and 1 tsp. salt to form a paste.
- Butterfly the tenderloins by making a lengthwise slit down each, taking care not to cut all the way through to the opposite side.
- Open each tenderloin, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap, and gently pound the meat with a meat pounder to an even thickness of about 1/2 inch.
- Generously rub the chile paste all over, and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour (or refrigerate, wrapped in plastic, for up to 1 day). Ours marinated for 10 hours.
- Meanwhile, prepare a medium (350°F to 375°F) gas or charcoal grill fire.
- Lightly oil the grate and grill the tenderloins, flipping once, until just firm to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- Transfer to a warm platter, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice o a moated cutting board to catch any juices. Serve with the cilantro and lime wedges.
Grilled Corn & Avocado Salad with Creamy Feta Dressing
Grilled Corn & Avocado Salad with Creamy Feta Dressing
Ingredients
- 6 ears corn, shucked and silk removed
- 1 bunch scallions, trimmed
- 1 jalapeño, stemmed, halved lengthwise, and seeded
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1/4 cup sliced fresh chives
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 med. head romaine lettuce, cut or torn into bite-size pieces
- 2 avocados, sliced
Directions
- Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high.
- Brush corn, scallions and jalapeño with the oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Arrange on the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until corn kernels are browned in spots and the scallions and jalapeño are charred all over and tender, about 10 minutes, a little longer for the corn.
- Transfer vegetables to a cutting board and let cool slightly.
- When cool, remove charred jalapeño skin (wasn’t necessary for us.) Finely chop.
- In a medium bowl, using a fork, mash the feta into a coarse paste. Whisk in buttermilk, lemon zest and juice and garlic, then stir in chives, parsley, and charred jalapeño. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, toss lettuce with half the feta dressing and arrange on a platter or salad bowl.
- Cut corn kernels off the cob and slice scallions into bite-size pieces.
- Arrange avocado slices, corn and scallions on top of the lettuce. Serve with remaining dressing or add additional dressing, as desired.
Recipe adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Sue Li
Accounting for Taste 