Pork Tenderloin With Fried Okra Recipe
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
1 hour, 45 minutes
Servings:
Ingredients
  • 8 cups water, divided
  • 1 cup kosher salt plus extra for seasoning pork
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 6 green cardamom pods, lightly cracked
  • 1 tea bag of black tea
  • One 1¼-pound trimmed pork tenderloin
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon hot water
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 1 small jalapeño, thinly sliced into rounds
  • 2 cups chopped seedless watermelon
  • Kosher salt
  • ¼ cup cornmeal
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoons Old Bay spice blend
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked sweet paprika (pimentón)
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 12 large okra, stem-end trimmed, halved lengthwise
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 3 cups canola oil
Directions
  1. Brine the pork: Fill a large bowl with ice and water and set aside. In a medium saucepan set over high heat, bring 4 cups of water, the salt, sugar, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, cardamom and tea bag to a boil. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and into a large bowl. Add 4 cups of cold water to the strained liquid and place the bowl in the ice-water bath to cool the brine. Once it's cool, add the pork tenderloin and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, pickle the watermelon: In a medium bowl, whisk the hot water and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved. Add the vinegar and jalapeño and steep for 10 minutes. Remove the jalapeño slices. In a large bowl, add the vinegar mixture and watermelon, gently toss to combine and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  3. Preheat the oven to 375°. Remove the pork from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Heat a medium oven-safe skillet set over medium-high heat until nearly smoking, about 1½ minutes. Add the olive oil and the tenderloin and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast reads 145°, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest.
  4. Fry the okra: In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, cornstarch, flour, Old Bay, smoked paprika and salt. In a medium bowl, stir the okra and buttermilk together, then dredge the okra through the cornmeal mixture. In a medium saucepan set over high heat, add the canola oil. Once the oil reaches 350°, reduce the heat to medium and add about half of the okra, frying until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or frying spider to transfer the okra to a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining okra.
  5. Carve the pork crosswise and on a bias into ½-inch-thick pieces and divide between plates. Serve with pickled watermelon and okra.