Bobby Flay's New Mexican Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin Recipe - Exclusive
Prep Time:
2 hours
Cook Time:
2 hours
Servings:
8 Servings
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons bourbon
  • 3 dried ancho chiles, soaked, seeded, stemmed, and pureed
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup thawed frozen apple juice concentrate
  • 8 whole black peppercorns
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pasilla chile powder
  • 2 teaspoons chile de árbol powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground allspice
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 pounds pork tenderloin
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 24 dried corn husks
  • ¾ cup fresh (preferably) or frozen corn kernels
  • ½ medium onion, coarsely chopped
  • Cloves from 1 head roasted garlic
  • 2 cups chicken stock or water
  • 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1½ cups yellow cornmeal
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ½ cup small-diced raw sweet potato
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
  • ¼ cup finely chopped chives
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
  1. Make the bourbon-ancho sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 2 cups of the bourbon, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to a few tablespoons, about 6 minutes. Add the ancho puree, stock, apple juice concentrate, peppercorns, and brown sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 20 minutes.
  2. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer, then return it to the pan and cook over high heat until thick but still pourable, about 15 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons bourbon and cook for 2 minutes, just until the alcohol has mellowed, then season with salt. (You can cool the sauce and then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day; just reheat it in a saucepan before serving.)
  3. Make the chive butter: In a food processor, combine the butter and chives and pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Alternatively, shape the butter into a log, wrap it in parchment paper, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  4. Make the sweet potato tamales: Preheat the oven to 400 F.
  5. Brush the sweet potatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a sheet pan and roast until fork-tender, about 1 hour. Allow to cool, then peel. Place in a bowl and mash with a fork. Set aside 2 cups of the puree.
  6. About 2 hours before you plan to form the tamales, rinse the corn husks under running water. Soak them in warm water for 2 hours, or until softened.
  7. In a blender or food processor, puree the corn, onion, roasted garlic, and stock. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the butter. Using your fingers, mix in the cornmeal, honey, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper until there are no visible lumps of fat. Fold in the sweet potato puree, diced raw sweet potato, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and maple syrup. The mixture will be a lot looser than you think it should be—don't worry, it will firm up when the tamales are steamed.
  8. Remove the corn husks from the water and set aside the best 20 husks, whole and having the fewest tears. Drain and pat dry. Tear the remaining husks into 1-inch-wide strips—you will use them to tie the tamales. Lay 2 husks flat on a work surface, with the tapered ends facing opposite each other and the broad bases overlapping by about 3 inches.
  9. Place about ⅓ cup of the masa mixture in the center of the corn husks. Bring the long sides up over the masa, slightly overlapping, and pat down to close. (It's no problem if the masa drips out a little at the seam.) Tie each end of the bundle with a strip of corn husk, pushing the filling toward the middle as you tie. Trim the ends to about ½ inch beyond the tie. (The tamales can be assembled up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerated before steaming.)
  10. Arrange the tamales in a single layer on a steaming rack, cover tightly with foil, and steam over boiling water for 45 minutes.
  11. Meanwhile, make the spice-rubbed pork tenderloin: Preheat the oven to 400 F.
  12. In a small bowl, stir together the ancho chile powder, brown sugar, pasilla chile powder, chile de árbol powder, cinnamon, allspice, and 1 teaspoon salt.
  13. In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper on both sides. Dredge the pork in the spice rub and tap off any excess. Place the pork in the pan and sear until golden brown on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes total. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until the pork is medium doneness (the internal temperature should register about 155 F), about 8 minutes. Remove the pork from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice the tenderloins against the grain into 1-inch-thick pieces.
  14. To serve: Ladle the bourbon-ancho sauce into the center of each of eight to ten large plates. Cut an opening in each tamale through the top of the corn husk, running from end to end, to expose the masa. Push both ends of the tamale toward the middle to further expose the masa. Place a tamale on top of the sauce on each plate, top it with some chive butter, then divide the sliced pork evenly among the plates. Serve immediately.