Pork tenderloin and rice (Χοιρινό φιλέτο με ρύζι)

Pork tenderloin with rice

Pork tenderloin and rice, a delicious way to enjoy this wonderful cut of meat. Tender and full of Greek flavours

Marinades are marvelous.  They are usually quite easy to mix together and once you do, the only thing left, is to wait.  Typically, the longer something marinates, the tastier, juicier and more delicious it is.  Our parents have a delicious, simple,  marinade that they use for pork fillet. Instead of keeping a piece of pork tenderloin whole, they slice it into thick-ish pieces, which means that there is more surface area for the marinade to cover.  This is a good thing.

Helpful hints

Our parents usually choose to fry their marinated pork fillets, probably because of how delicious they are this way.  If you would prefer not to fry them, you can always grill them on the bbq or even bake them in the oven.  You’ll save a few calories and grams of fat to be sure, but maybe instead you can simply avoid dessert (at least for today).

Pork tenderloin with rice

If you do follow this recipe and fry your pork fillet, the cooking time listed may appear to be too long.  You may worry that this would cause your pork to dry out, or become really greasy.  Despite the fact that the pork is cooked through completely (that is, there is no pink in the center), it remains moist and simply delicious.  This is marinade magic.

Pork tenderloin with rice
Pork tenderloin with rice

One of the marinade ingredients is Montreal steak spice.  You may be able to find this where you live, even if it’s not in Montreal.  Otherwise, you can substitute your favourite brand of steak spice, and when you come visit our beautiful city, you can pick some up.

Because our parents often serve this meal with some rice on the side, we have reiterated some of the helpful hints we had originally posted for cooking rice when we included them in our veal kokkinisto and rice recipe.  Here you go:

Cooking rice used to stress us so much.  How does one know the exact ratio of rice to water?  Does the type of rice influence this ratio?  Should the rice be cooked covered, or uncovered?  At a simmer or a gentle boil?  For how long?  Is it worth it to buy a rice cooker?  Where the heck are we going to keep one more small appliance?  How could such a small grain cause such big anxiety?!  And then…we saw our parents cook rice and we thought…huh!?  What is wrong with us?  Why had we never thought to cook rice this way?  We’re smart people…usually.

Our parents cook rice the way you cook pasta.  They boil a pot of water, add the rice, cook it over a medium high heat, and then drain it when the rice is cooked.  We feel stupid.  In this recipe we suggest that you cook the rice as our parents do (of course, maybe you already do.  Smarty-pants).  In fact, not only is this probably the easiest way to cook rice, but given the arsenic found in most grains of rice (described here), it may also be the safest way to cook it.

Pork tenderloin with rice

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Pork tenderloin with rice

Pork tenderloin and rice

Pork tenderloin and rice, a delicious way to enjoy this wonderful cut of meat. Tender and full of Greek flavours!
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Greek
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Marinating time: 12 hours
Total Time: 12 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 621kcal
Author: Mia Kouppa

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1 tbsp Montreal steak spice, or another type of steak spice
  • 1 tbsp dried Greek oregano
  • 10 pork fillets, from a pork tenderloin each fillet cut into 1 ½ inch thick slices
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • lemon juice optional
  • 2 cups long grain rice, uncooked
  • 1/2 tbsp salt

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, mix together the red wine, olive oil, honey, mustard, steak spice, and Greek oregano. Add your pork fillets to the bowl and coat evenly with the marinade. Alternatively, pour the marinade into a large re-sealable plastic bag (like a freezer bag) and then add the pork fillets. Ensure that they are coated thoroughly. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours or overnight. You should occasionally mix the pork around so that the marinade is easily distributed.
    1/2 cup red wine, 1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp yellow mustard, 1 tbsp Montreal steak spice, or another type of steak spice, 1 tbsp dried Greek oregano
  • Heat vegetable oil, about a quarter of an inch deep, in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the pork pieces, being careful not to crowd them. Cook, turning occasionally, until pork is done. Our parents cook each batch for about 8-10 minutes. You may prefer your pork to be less well done, in which case, you can cook it for less time.
    10 pork fillets, from a pork tenderloin
  • Once cooked, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and with some lemon juice if you like.
    salt and pepper to taste, lemon juice
  • Meanwhile, boil a pot of water. Add 1/2 tablespoon salt. Once the water is boiling, add the rice. Cook, uncovered until the rice is cooked, approximately 20 minutes (or according to the package instructions). Once the rice is cooked to your liking, drain the rice using a colander. Be amazed at how easy this was.
    2 cups long grain rice, uncooked, 1/2 tbsp salt
  • Serve your pork fillets with some rice on the side. Add a salad and enjoy a delicious, well-rounded meal.
  • Enjoy and Kali Orexi.

Nutrition

Calories: 621kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 711mg | Potassium: 778mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg

Thanks for sharing!

10 Comments

  1. Hannah (BitterSweet) says:

    I can imagine that marinade being delicious on a wide range of proteins! I’d love to try it on tempeh first. Thanks for sharing!

    1. miakouppa says:

      Thank you! This marinade would definitely be great on tempeh:) Hope you enjoy it!

  2. Ann-Marie says:

    This recipe was simple and enjoyed by the whole family! Delicious & easy to make. Thank you. It has been added to our repetoire!

    1. miakouppa says:

      So glad that you found a meal that everyone enjoys 🙂 Thanks for the feedback!

  3. Made this meal twice already and it was a hit with the family! It is tender, tasty and so easy to make. Like that you can make it in advance (+12 hours to marinate) and then simply cook it when ready.
    THANKS Mia Kouppa!

    1. miakouppa says:

      That’s great Sophie! Love it when a meal is enjoyed by everyone in the family 🙂 Thanks for your feedback! 😉

  4. Would love to make it this weekend but I would like to omit the wine as I will be feeding small children. What do you recommend as a substitute for wine in this recipe? Thanks!

    1. miakouppa says:

      Hi Nicole. Orange juice instead of wine would be delicious we think! (sorry for the delayed response…we realize the weekend has passed!).

  5. MaryAnn Ciancio says:

    I don’t think I see the pork marinade anywhere as the recipe is not printed. I would love to have it. Sounds delicious!!! Thank you..

    1. miakouppa says:

      Oh boy! We have been updating our website and it seems that some recipes have temporarily disappeared. We are tending to them one by one…we will move this one to the top of the list. Should be available by the end of the day! Thank you for being here with us, and for your patience! xoxo Helen & Billie

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