Noble Pig's Chili-Lime Pork Tenderloin

I'm guessing by now, if you're reading my blog, you know I love to cook.  I have an addiction to all things recipe-related as well.  Just this week my Good Meat cookbook arrived.  I'll be making a recipe out of that one on Saturday.  But today, it was a recipe from the Noble Pig blog.

My sister-in-law, Robyn, had mentioned this blog and I had meant to get to it.  However with year-end at work, training and fundraising for the Breast Cancer 3-Day, planning the welcome home event for over 150 members of my hubby's Air Force Reserve unit and doing my best to support the spouses of those deployed, I'm not left with many minutes in the day to read cookbooks, let alone cook.

Robyn was in town this week shopping with a friend.  We went to dinner last night at Trattoria Da Vinci in downtown St. Paul.  I highly recommend it.  They make some yummy gnocchi.  It was a great time, as it always is with Robyn and Janet and of course the topic of food and recipes came up.  Robyn has the kitchen of my dreams.  Really, the kitchen of my dreams.  I could live in that kitchen.  I made 27 six-inch wedding cakes in that kitchen so I know of what I speak.  It's not just because it's pretty.  It's functional too.

See what I mean?

Robyn brought up the Noble Pig blog again and this time I looked through it.  Yes, addicted again.  The blog is very well written, witty and the recipes, oh my the recipes!  I think I pinned a dozen of them on my Pinterest board!  I really wanted to start with the hoisin pork tenderloin but that has to marinate for at least two hours or overnight.  I didn't think I had two hours tonight, turns out I did but that's another story, so I started with the Chili-Lime Pork Tenderloin.

Dave and I eat a lot of pork tenderloin.  It's low in fat, tastes yummy and we can put a Penzey's rub on it, throw it on the grill and have dinner in a matter of minutes so this recipe really appealed to me.

It's easy.  Mix chili powder (I did a mix of chipotle and ancho) with lime juice and soy sauce.  Rub that mixture on a tenderloin that has been seasoned with salt and pepper.  Brown it on the stove, stick it in the oven and 25 minutes later dinner is ready.

In the picture on the blog they showed the pork with chips, salsa and guac.  Well that looked good to me!  We stock Spicy Wholly Guacamole and Snappy Dog salsa in this house.  We were out of chips but Dave was willing to make a run!

I can't believe how good this pork was!  It was fork tender and delicious!  And even better so stinkin' easy.  We will definitely make this again.

Though there are quite a few more Noble Pig recipes I want to try including banana bread with blueberries (gonna try that tomorrow, time permitting... I have ripe bananas!), hoisin pork tenderloin (this is on the short-list too!), pomegranate-balsamic-glazed carrots, salt and vinegar potatoes, pork medallions with pinot noir cherry pan sauce, creamy ravioli with squash lemon and chives and I could go on and on.  Thanks for the tip Robyn!  Well I think.....I know Dave will thank you!