Pork Tenderloins with Dijon Mustard Sauce + Passion for Coffee blog tour

"The story of coffee begins with a colorful legend from Africa..."

How could you not love a cookbook in which this is the first line? Passion for Coffee celebrates that magical little bean that has provided stimulation for so many years. Now, since I am a coffee drinker, I was excited to be a part of this book tour already. I mean, a book packed with more than 200 recipes that include coffee? Sign me up!

And the recipes do not disappoint. From safe and familiar to intriguing and inventive, the recipes are as diverse as coffee-lovers themselves.

But as I mentioned, it was "the story" that really sold me. My favorite types of cookbooks are those that tell a story - in words, in pictures, or in a combination of both. Not only do I have a blevy of sticky notes poking out from the pages, I also have more knowledge of coffee. Did you know that coffee beans come two to a cherry or berry? That the thin, sweet layer that covers the berry must be removed, and that there is a white, sticky pulp underneath that covers the two coffee beans inside?

is is a book that deserves a spot not only on a working kitchen bookshelf, but also on a coffee table.

The recipe that I'm sharing today is pork tenderloin with a dijon mustard sauce that contains coffee. The flavor of the coffee doesn't stand out and dominate, rather melds and mingles with the other flavors in the marinade. I found myself wanting more. I recommend doubling (or more) the marinade/sauce ingredients. The pork itself is juicy and laced with flavor. So. Good.

Pork Tenderloin w/ Dijon Mustard Sauce

Juicy pork tenderloins that have been marinated in a coffee, mustard, and thyme mixture.

by Patricia McCausland-Gallo, Passion for Coffee; used with permission.

Prep Time: 10 minutes (active) + time to marinate

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Keywords: bake entree coffee mustard pork

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 teaspoon freeze-dried or granulated instant coffee
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons grated onion
• 2 garlic cloves, mashed
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon adobo seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (1.25 pound) pork tenderloins
• 1/4 cup beef or chicken stock/broth

Instructions

Dissolve the coffee in the water in a medium bowl. Add sugar, cream, mustard, onion, garlic, thyme, adobo, salt, and pepper. Mix well until sugar dissolves.

Put the pork tenderloins into a shallow dish or a gallon-sized zippered baggie and add the sauce, moving around to coat. Cover (or zip) and let marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 450° F. Remove tenderloins and place on a wire rack set over a baking pan.

Mix the stock into the remaining sauce and pour into the baking pan. Bake until the meat registers 160° F on a thermometer (or adjust to your liking), 25-30 minutes.

Remove pork from pan and cover with foil for 5 minutes. Stir pan juices and sauce using a spatula. Slice the pork into pieces that are 1 to 1-1/4 inches thick and serve with sauce.

note:

I didn't really have any sauce left over after baking - it all evaporated. I'd recommend doubling (or tripling or more) the amount of sauce if you want some for serving.

Passion for Coffee
author: Patricia McCausland-Gallo
publisher: Favorite Recipes Press (FRP)
photos: yes
hard cover: 224 pages

chapters/sections: the story of coffee | the coffee bush | lives of coffee | about the recipes | kitchen essentials | basics | early birds and breads | bars, cookies, and goodies | the most moist cakes | cool desserts | hot and cold drinks | savory main dishes | greens and more

fun features: The first three chapters! I love a little history and background with my food. My favorite cookbooks combine all three elements.

(a few of the many) recipes destined for my kitchen: Tamarind Spiced Chicken Breasts | Divine Coffee Rolls | Coffee Meringue Disks | Tuna with Yellow Pepper Chutney | Filet Mignon with Coffee-Blueberry Sauce | Rum and Coffee Cheesecake | Four Milks Coffee Delight | Pecan Coffee Tart | Pizza Sticks with Coffee Drizzles | Coffee Belgian Waffles with Caramel Coffee Sauce

my thoughts: This cookbook is absolutely packed to the gills with inventive dishes using coffee. I'm hard-pressed to find one that I wouldn't at least like to try once. McCausland-Gallo's passion truly does shine through on the pages. A must-have for all the coffee-lovers out there!

about the author: Patricia McCausland-Gallo is the Colombian daughter of a master pastry chef who has a B.S. in Food and Nutrition from LSU, pastry and baking at Lenôtre in France and the American Institute of Baking in Kansas. Patricia is as passionate about the subject of coffee as she is teaching about food, cooking, and nutrition, which she has done since 1983.

When Pachi is not tasting her way around the world, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three daughters. She lives in Panama City, Panama.

further info: website | blog | facebook | twitter | youtube

I received a free copy of this book as part of the blog tour. All opinions stated in this post are my own.