Coffee Rubbed Pork Tenderloin Sliders
A Game Day Delicacy
Football season is coming up and you know what that means: delicious game day food! These Coffee Rubbed Pork Tenderloin Sliders take a little more work than your standard football snack but theyére well worth the effort.
I love using Football Sundays as a chance to try out new recipes, but this one is actually a little bit older. I originally created it for a promotion I did with a local organization called Aspire Coffeeworks, but Iéll get into that later.
The full, printable recipe card will be at the end of this post, but first Iéve got some pictures and information youéll want to read to give your guests the best game day grub.
A Robust Rub
The idea of a coffee rub on meat may seem unusual if you havenét tried it before, but the mixture of coffee grounds, chili powder, and other seasonings will create a delicious crust that perfectly compliments the tender juicy pork.
Youére going to want to spread the rub all over the tenderloin, making sure you get it in every nook and cranny.
You especially want to get the crannies!
This should be enough rub for two tenderloins but beyond that you’ll need more rub. Each tenderloin can make around six sliders, so take your guest list into account.
Once youére certain every single part of the tenderloin surface is covered, you can let it rest for around ten minutes while you heat your oven.
Butter it Up
If youére wondering how this tenderloin turns out so juicy and… well… tender, one reason is the butter youéll be melting in the skillet or casserole dish.
Once your oven is heated to 400 degrees, youéll get the pan all warm and melt the butter inside it while the tenderloin is resting in the rub. Then youéll give the tenderloin a nice buttery bath in that pan before cooking it to an internal temperature of 140 degrees.
It only takes around 15 minutes in my oven, especially because itéll keep cooking for some time afterwards.
Your oven may be different. I never get tired of telling people to check their oven temperature accuracy!
Most importantly LET IT REST before slicing. That will help all those wonderful juices stay in!
Self Serve Savoriness
You can make the sliders yourself and bring them out that way, but why give yourself extra work and deny your guests the pleasure of assembling it themselves?
You can lay out the sliced pork, buns, and toppings alongside the other foods on offer. You can offer whatever sort of sauce you want for your guests but I prefer to serve it with the sauce I make as part of my BBQ ribs recipe.
Aspiring to Greatness
As I mentioned earlier, I originally came up with this recipe as part of a collaboration with Aspire Coffee back in the day. Theyére a coffee company here in Chicago that donates all of their proceeds to help people with disabilities.
You can read more about the work they do, and place and order if youéd like, on their website.
Feel free to use whatever kind of coffee grounds youéd like, though you can keep Aspire in mind if you want to support their cause.
The Full, Printable Recipe Card
This might be one of the best BBQ dishes you can make without installing a big smoker in your backyard.
Coffee Rubbed Pork Tenderloin Sliders
Delicious and juicy, these savory pork sliders are an amazing game day dish.
Ingredients
- 1 Pork Tenderloin
- 1/3 C. of Bold Coffee Grounds,
- 1 T. of Paprika
- 1 T. of Garlic Salt
- 1 T. of Chili Powder
- 1 T. of Onion Powder
- 3 T. of Butter
- 2 T. of Oil (I used vegetable oil)
- BBQ Sauce of your choice
- 6 Slider Buns, I used King’s Hawaiian Rolls
Instructions
- Add the coffee, chili powder, paprika, garlic salt, and onion powder to a casserole dish and combine well to create the rub. If you're making any more than two tenderloins, you'll want to increase the amount of rub.
- Place the pork tenderloin (or tenderloins) on top of the rub and press the rub into all sides of the tenderloin, including the ends. Roll the tenderloin in the rub and make sure it's totally covered and then let it rest for ten minutes mwhile you preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Place an oven-safe cast iron skillet into the oven with the butter and oil in it. If you do not have a cast iron skillet, place the butter and oil in a casserole dish and place that in the oven. Let the skillet heat up for about 10 minutes and make sure the butter is melted.
- Carefully remove the dish from the oven, place the tenderloin in the skillet, then use a pot holder to tilt the skillet and spoon the melted butter/oil mixture all over the entire top of the tenderloin.
- Place the tenderloin in the skillet back in the oven. This will only need to cook for about 15 minutes. I use a meat thermometer and take the tenderloin out at just under 140 degrees, I prefer my tenderloin slightly medium. Just remember the meat continues to cook 8 to 10 degrees after removing it from the oven, so take it out when it is just under the done temp you desire. If you do not have a meat thermometer, you will know the tenderloin is done when you press on the tenderloin and it is firm and has no give to the meat.
- The MOST IMPORTANT step is to let the tenderloin rest for at least ten minutes before slicing it. If you do not allow the juices to redistribute, all of the meat juice will drain out when you are slicing it. I like to give it 15 minutes.
- Slice the tenderloin into thin slices, layer on a bun and top with BBQ sauce and I also added sweet pickles. Alternatively you can put the buns, pork slices, sauce and toppings out for your guests to assemble.
For another Tipsy classic, try my Round Steak and Gravy!