Lime Pork Tenderloin with Cilantro Lime Rice

aside from most likely being a genius, alton brown also frequently inspires me with his recipes which are almost always excellent. when i watch his shows i always learn something and i am almost always running to my fridge to see if i have the ingredients to make what he just made on good eats.

this time the pork tenderloin in my freezer was the lucky subject of a recipe modification from mr. brown. i deem it grilled garlic lime pork tenderloin.

i whipped up some cilantro lime rice to go with it. both were amazing. too bad i can't say the same thing for my brilliant idea of grilling green beans.

perhaps there is a reason i have never heard of anyone grilling green beans. or, maybe i cooked them too long. either way, they turned out weird. that's the only word i can think of for describing the grilled beans - weird. the flavor was good but it's almost as if the insides disintegrated. i bit into the green bean expecting a crunchy bite but instead it seemed like all was eating was the outer shell of the bean. the inside of the bean seemed to have cooked away.

i am not completely deterred because i did cook them a little long (4 minutes a side). i will try again and cut the grilling time in half. but until i experiment some more i cannot encourage grilling green beans.

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Grilled Garlic Lime Pork Tenderloin
(serves 4-8)

1 - 2 whole pork tenderloins
1 lime, zest finely grated
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime  juice
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 tsp chili powder

combine all ingredients except for the pork in a small jar with a lid. shake jar well to combine ingredients. pour 3/4 of the marinade into a ziploc bag and place pork into bag. seal tightly trying to keep all air out of the bag. smush pork and marinade around in the bag and refrigerate at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours.

preheat grill to medium high heat (i highly recommend charcoal for the wonderful flavor it infuses into the meat). remove pork from marinade and grill for 16 minutes total (or until internal temperature reads 140 degrees F), turning meat every 2 minutes.  remove pork from grill and place in a shallow dish. immediately pour remaining 1/4 of marinade over hot pork and cover loosely with foil. let sit at least 5 minutes before slicing.

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Cilantro Lime Rice
(serves 4)

1 cup long grain rice
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons water, divided
½ tsp. salt
½ cup fresh cilantro
1 lime, zested
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped

cook rice according to package directions. meanwhile, combine 2 tbs of water, salt, cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, and garlic in food processor or blender and blend until smooth. when rice is finished, pour cilantro lime mixture over rice and stir well to combine. serve warm.