Coffee-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

Have you ever had a day where nothing really sounds good for dinner? This doesn’t happen often around here, especially when we’ve planned out the week’s menu. Occasionally, though, I’m just lacking inspiration. On days like that, I’ll peruse Pinterest, food photo sites or my Google Reader in hopes that something will pop out at me. After striking out in all of those places, I saw this recipe pop up in my Facebook news feed. I had all the ingredients on hand, like it was meant to be. I love when things work out like that.

This is an ideal summer recipe. There’s minimal prep, just a few ingredients, and it cooks quickly on the grill. The tenderloin is rubbed in a mixture of coffee, brown sugar and chili powder, giving it an earthy, smoky and slightly sweet flavor. Being the coffee lovers we are, Eric and I love anything with coffee in (or on) it, but I think even non-coffee drinkers will appreciate the flavor the coffee beans add to this dish. The rub gives the pork a wonderful crust and helps keep the moisture inside. I knew this had been perfectly cooked when we sliced into it and saw just how tender and juicy it was. We served this with grilled vegetables and roasted potatoes, but next time I’ll swap the roasted potatoes for grits or polenta.