This achiote marinade hails from the Yucatán region of Mexico and it adds great flavor with a little kick to meats,poultry, seafood and vegetables. It is also a great marinade for fajitas!
Achiote paste or recado rojo is the base for this marinade and can be found pretty widely in the Hispanic section of the grocery store. This thick, deep-red paste can be traced back to the Maya people and is a blend of ground annatto seeds, vinegar, salt, garlic and spices which is typically formed into a small block. It can be rubbed directly on meats or traditionally diluted with bitter orange, limes and vinegar as a marinade. Since bitter oranges are not that easy to find, I just bumped up the lime juice.
This achiote marinated pork would go great with my Fresh Start Market Black Beans, a salad of sliced cabbage,shredded carrots and radishes, and chunks of avocado, plus some warm tortillas. Or save a little of the marinade before adding it to the pork and toss with some thick slices of zucchini and grill the vegetables while the meat rests before slicing. Don’t forget the cerveza and limes!!!
- For the marinade:
- ¼ cup achiote paste
- ¾ cup fresh orange juice
- ¾ fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 habanero or 2 Fresno chilies, chopped
- 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- :
- 2 pounds pork tenderloin
- Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and olive oil for grilling
- Place all of the marinade ingredients in a blender and blitz to combine. Trim away the sliver skin from the tenderloin and place in a resealable plastic bag. Pour in the marinade and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours or as long as over night.
- Remove pork from the marinade and discard the marinade. Blot the tenderloin(s) with paper towels and season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Let sit at room temperature while prepping the grill.
- Set up grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat. Brush and oil grate when ready to start cooking. Place pork on the hot oiled grill. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes on each side (four sides) for a total of 14 to 18 minutes or until internal temperature registers a minimum of 145˚F (medium rare) and up to 160˚F (medium).
- Remove tenderloin(s) from grill and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Slice across the tenderloins on the bias and serve.
Cheers and Happy Grilling!
-Jeff
