Grilled Tenderloins

Jerk-rubbed pork tenderloin grilled fast and hot, sliced over a bed of from-scratch dirty rice loaded with chicken livers, black-eyed peas, and chipotle peppers. Then you hit it with crumbles of tangy goat cheese and fresh sage. This is a plate with layers.

The dirty rice here goes deep. Bacon renders first, then chicken livers, onion, celery, and bell peppers cook down in that fat until soft and fragrant. Black-eyed peas and brown rice simmer in chicken broth for over an hour, soaking up all that smoky, savory flavor. It’s a full side dish that could stand on its own.

The jerk rub needs time to work. Two hours of resting lets the spices penetrate the pork and draw out moisture that helps form a spicy, caramelized crust on the grill. Four minutes per side is all it takes for tenderloin this size, then a five-minute rest off heat lets the juices redistribute so every slice stays pink and juicy.

Pro Tips

• Let the pork rest a full 5 minutes after grilling. Cutting too early means all that juice ends up on the cutting board instead of in the meat.
• Mince the chicken livers finely so they melt into the rice rather than sitting in noticeable chunks.
• Roast your own red bell peppers over an open flame or under the broiler for the best smoky flavor in the dirty rice.
• The goat cheese should go on while the pork is still warm so it softens slightly against the hot meat.

Variations

• Chicken version: Swap the pork for boneless chicken thighs. They handle jerk rub beautifully and grill in about the same time.
• Milder heat: Skip the chipotle peppers in the rice and use a mild jerk seasoning for a family-friendly plate.
• Blue cheese: Trade the goat cheese for crumbled blue cheese if you want a sharper, funkier contrast to the spicy pork.