If you look through my blog you will see that pork tenderloin is a favorite cut of meat, grilling is often the method of cooking and I love different marinades that give the pork a totally different taste experience.
This recipe was exceptional; it began with just opening the jars of these aromatic seeds and toasting them. I new this was going to be a good recipe. That feeling continued throughout the process of making the marinade with lime juice, mixed fresh herbs, jalapeno and garlic, fish sauce, honey and finally the 3 aromatic seeds; fennel, coriander and cumin.
Since my Weight Watcher’s days I have preferred pork tenderloin over shoulder or any other cut of pork. I know it may not be the best choice for many but it has always worked for me.
Liz from spades, spatulas & spoons is the blogger behind this delicious recipe. I made changes as I went through the process of making this flavorful pork dish. I have given the ingredients and directions for how I made it. For her original recipe go here https://spadesspatulasandspoons.com/2020/07/10/july-spicy-grilled-pork-kabobs-with-fennel-and-cumin/
Trust me this is one heck of a good recipe! The aroma from my grill as the pork was cooking was overwhelming – I was sure some of the neighbors might invite themselves for dinner!
Spicy Grilled Pork Kebobs with Aromatic Seeds, Mini Peppers and Sliced Onions
- 1-1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin, cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes
- kosher salt to taste
- 3 tbsp. lime juice plus wedges to garnish (optional)
- 1/4 cup mixture of fresh basil, parsley and mint, minced
- 2 tbsp. fish sauce (I use BLiS – no fishy taste)
- 2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 large jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp. honey
- 3/4 tbsp. fennel seeds
- 1/2 tbsp. cumin seeds
- 1/2 tbsp. coriander seeds
- small mini peppers
- 1/2-inch thick onion slices
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- garlic powder to taste
- EVOO to brush on the peppers and onions
Season the pork cubes with kosher salt and place in a bowl.
Dry roast the fennel, coriander and cumin seeds until they become golden brown. They are already aromatic when you put them in the skillet.
In a blender add the lime juice, herbs of your choice, fish sauce, garlic, jalapeno, honey and puree. Add the seeds and pulse a few times to bruise the seeds and mix them in.
Add the mixture to the pork cubes tossing to coat all sides. I refrigerated the pork for 24 hours – you can marinate less if desired.
Prepare the mini peppers and thread onto skewers. Place the onion slices on a plate. Spritz or brush with olive oil and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper; I also added garlic powder. I toned it down since the pork was already heavily seasoned.
Thread the pork cubes on separate skewers. If you live in a warm climate, have a rosemary bush where it is treated like a perennial, by all means use the stems from your plant for skewers (after you strip the leaves, soak in water for 30 minutes). Unfortunately in Michigan rosemary is an annual and does not survive (usually) the winter outdoors. If you have a greenhouse by all means grow this plant year round.
Heat your grill to high; barely turn down the heat and grill the pork and onion slices for 10 minutes before turning and grilling another 10 minutes. The peppers only take 5 minutes before turning and grilling another 5 minutes. The pork was cooked perfectly with just a little pink inside! Adjust the cooking time with your own grill.
Garnish with fresh herbs and I served it over rice.
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
You can see the woody part of the stem and then towards the top it becomes soft. You need stems that are sturdy enough to thread your kebobs. I had a few stems but not enough for the whole meal so I just went with the metal skewers.
You had me at that gorgeous sprig of rosemary. 🌿🌱🍃
You think the rosemary branch stripped of its leaves is beautiful? Just in case I added a picture with all the leaves ??? I didn’t use rosemary in the recipe only mentioned it as a possible skewer for kebobs 🙂
I’ve used rosemary sprigs as skewers on my sweet potato stacks.
http://Snapshotsincursive.com/2018/08/06
This looks like the perfect summer dish! So light and aromatic. Love the addition of grilled onions and baby peppers on the side. 🙂
Thanks Ronit – the aroma and flavor was outstanding. I always have to throw in some veggies if I can when I grill 🙂
Double the fun! 🙂
Thank you, I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. It is a winner. I appreciate the shout out, I will try it on tenderloin next time.
It really was delicious Liz – it will probably be my go-to-pork-kebob recipe for the summer. Tenderloin doesn’t have the fat as other cuts but with the marinade and not overcooking I think it can be quite delicious.
Judi, your tenderlion recipe will look mighty fine cooking on my bbq and surely taste even better. Just looking at it makes me want to grab a warm tortilla and tuck in…
I actually made a wrap with some leftovers – just delicious! It’s the perfect recipe for grilling this summer and I just loved Liz’s choice of spices!
lots of good flavours here judi. i don’t eat pork but i bet this could do well with chicken!
Thanks Sherry – chicken would be a perfect substitute for the pork! I might even try that the next time as the marinade is what makes the meat taste so good…
I love everything about the pork! Great seasoning. I’ve never grilled those little peppers, just sauteed them. So smart to put them on skewers!
Thanks – it’s a great recipe and I just loved making and grilling it. The mini peppers are one of the best things that stores have come up with – I use them a lot! They keep a lot better than bell peppers and other peppers.