Jerk-Style Pork Tenderloin, Watermelon & Coconut Salad
This dish is full of vibrant Caribbean flavour – it really is sunshine on a plate. For ease I’m using a ready-made jerk paste with aromatic notes of allspice and scotch bonnet chilli – and adding vibrancy with fresh ginger, thyme & orange – all delicious with pork. I love the contrast of punchy spice with the sweet watermelon and refreshing coconut dressing.
Method
Put the jerk paste, olive oil, thyme, ginger, garlic and the orange juice and zest into a large bowl and mix well. Add ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Remove a ¼ of the marinade. Add the pork to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and chill to marinate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180Cfan
Remove the pork from the marinade, scraping off any excess. Heat the butter and oil in an ovenproof frying pan over a high heat. Add the pork and brown all over. Brush the reserved marinade over the pork and transfer to the oven. Roast for 15-18 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the pork, cover with foil and rest for 5-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together the ingredients for the salad dressing and season with salt.
In a bowl mix together the watermelon, onion, watercress and shredded mint. Season with flaky sea salt. Drizzle over some of the dressing and toss to coat.
Slice the pork thinly across the grain. Arrange the salad on a serving plate and top with slices of pork or serve the sliced pork on the side. Drizzle over a little more dressing (serve any remaining on the side or refrigerate for another use), grate over the coconut and garnish with mint.
Ingredients
- 1-2 pork tenderloin, cut in half
- 3 tbsp good quality jerk paste (add more/less depending on how spicy you like it)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 5 cm piece of root ginger, grated
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- juice and zest of ½ orange
- 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter, for frying
- 650g watermelon, skin and excess seeds removed, cut into triangle slices or chunks
- 80-100g of watercress
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- flaky sea salt
- handful of fresh mint leaves, shredded, plus extra leaves to serve
- ¼ fresh coconut, for grating (or 1-2 tbsp unsweetened desiccated coconut)
- For the Dressing
- 50ml coconut water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- juice & zest of ½ orange
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- dash of Caribbean hot pepper sauce, to taste