Skip to main content

Ancho Chile Pork Tenderloin With Brussels Sprouts and Squash

4.7

(25)

Sliced pork tenderloin with Brussels sprouts and delicata squash.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell

An ancho chile rub serves double-duty in this dinner: it's the sweet and zesty rub for the tenderloin, and the seasoning for the roasted veg.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    45

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

2 limes
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
2 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed, quartered
1 large red onion, halved, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
1 delicata squash, halved lengthwise, seeded, sliced into 1/4-inch half moons
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped, plus whole leaves for serving
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place racks in top and center of oven; preheat to 425°F. Finely grate 2 tsp. lime zest into a small bowl. Stir in cumin, chile powder, brown sugar, and 2 tsp. salt.

    Step 2

    Toss brussels sprouts, onion, squash, 2 Tbsp. oil, and half of spiced salt on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to center rack in oven and roast 10 minutes. Toss and continue to roast until vegetables are browned and cooked through, 10–15 minutes more.

    Step 3

    Meanwhile, rub pork tenderloins with remaining spiced salt and heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Sear pork on 3 sides until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Turn tenderloins onto remaining side, then transfer skillet to top rack of oven. Roast pork until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 140°F for medium-rare or 145°F for medium, 8–10 minutes (temperature will rise by about 10°F after cooking). Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

    Step 4

    Whisk sour cream, 2 tsp. lime juice, 1/2 cup cilantro, and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt in a small bowl. Spoon some sauce onto plates, then arrange pork over. Top with cilantro leaves, flakey sea salt, and pepper. Serve vegetables and lime wedges alongside.

Read More
This summery sheet-pan dinner celebrates the bounty of the season and couldn't be simpler to make. Chorizo plays nicely with the salad, thanks to its spice.
Tender, well-glazed, and just spicy enough, these ribs are the ultimate grill-out food. Cook fully in the oven ahead of time and finish them on the grill.
Cabbage is the unsung hero of the winter kitchen—available anywhere, long-lasting in the fridge, and super-affordable. It’s also an excellent partner for pasta.
This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.
An ex-boyfriend’s mom—who emigrated from Colombia—made the best meat sauce—she would fry sofrito for the base and simply add cooked ground beef, sazón, and jarred tomato sauce. My version is a bit more bougie—it calls for caramelized tomato paste and white wine—but the result is just as good.
This fragrant salad uses bulgur wheat as its base, an endlessly versatile, slightly chewy grain that’s very popular throughout the eastern Mediterranean.
In this lasagna, soft layers of pasta and béchamel are interspersed with a rich tomato sauce laden with hearty Mediterranean vegetables.
Traditionally, this Mexican staple is simmered for hours in an olla, or clay pot. You can achieve a similar result by using canned beans and instant ramen.