Ancho Pork Tenderloin

Ancho (Ahn-cho) Chile (Capsicum Annum) means Wide Chile Pepper. This chile ranges from 3 – 4 on a heat scale of 1 to 10. An Ancho is the dried form of a Poblano Pepper and often is mislabeled as a Pasilla or Mulato Pepper. Anchos have sweet fruity flavor with hints of cherry, prune, and fig. Anchos, combined with the Pasilla and Guajillo, form the Holy Trinity of chiles used to prepare the traditional mole sauces. Scoville heat units are 1,000 to 3,000.

Suggested Use:
Anchos are great in salsa, soups, enchilada and any sauce needing mild heat and chile flavor. Chopped, pureed or ground, they can be added directly to your recipes.

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Ingredients:

5 ancho chiles
2 cups boiling water
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
4 large garlic cloves, halved
2 pounds pork tenderloin
cooking spray

Instructions:
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high until hot. Add chiles and cook 2 minutes, turning frequently. Remove from heat and cool. Discard stems and seeds. Combine roasted chiles and boiling water in a bowl; cover and let stand for 20 minutes or until soft. Drain well.

Combine re-hydrated chiles, broth, and next 9 ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Cook chile paste in skillet over medium-low heat until very thick (about 8 minutes), stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.

Trim fat from pork and slice pork lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, other side. Open halves, laying flat. Place pork in a 13×9″ baking dish; spread chile paste over all sides of pork. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 6 hours or overnight.

Prepare grill. Remove pork from dish, reserving chile paste. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of pork. Place pork on a grill rack coated with cooking spray and cook for 8 minutes on each side or until thermometer registers 160 degrees F. (slightly pink), brushing with reserved chile paste frequently.

Recipe from “Cooking Light”.