Cocoa crusted pork loin

This recipe came from Chef meg sparkpeople.com. The original had coffee in it, but I took that out. I had to cook mine a lot longer, but I made 2 tenderloins each about 1 pound and a half rather than 1 1 pounder, but it took 2-3 times longer than the original recipe. I also cooked mine unitl 160 -original recipe said 150. That was still plenty tender and juicy, and even appeared pink, but turned brown quickly. I also didn't have a cast iron skillet, so I seared it in my regular pan and transfered it to a 9X13 pan. The mole sauce was too spicy for me. I would have prefered it without the sauce.  Brandon liked the sauce more than I did.

Pork Loin

• 1 T cocoa powder, unsweetened
• 1/2 t cinnamon, ground
• 1/2 t chili powder
• 1 T canola oil
• 1 lb. (16 oz) pork tenderloin, trimmed of surface fat

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the spices in a small mixing bowl. Trim fat from pork tenderloin and remove the thin silver tendon that may be running down the center of the loin. Rub the tenderloin with the canola oil. Dust the loin with all of the spice mixture. Heat a cast iron or heavy bottom pan to high heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place the tenderloin in the pan and sear on all sides. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees. Remove the pan from the oven. (Remember the handle will be hot!) Place the meat on a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Mole sauce

• 3 onion, white, quartered
• 4 plum tomatoes, quartered
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 bananna peppers
• 3 ancho chilies, dried
• 1 t chili powder
• 1 t coca powder, unsweetend
• 16 oz chicken stock, reduced sodium
• 1 lime, juiced and zested (ooh, I totally forgot this. I will add this tomorrow to use as salsa.)

Directions
Raise oven rack to highest position and preheat oven to broil. Toss all vegetables except for the ancho chilies into a cast iron skillet or sheet pan. Place under broiler and cook until all vegetables are bubbly and some blackening begins on the tomatoes. Vegetables should be stirred once while in oven. Once vegetables are roasted allow to cool for 5 minutes. While vegetables are cooking, place chilies in a mixing bowl. Cover with boiling water and allow to steep for 10 mintues. Once vegetables have cooled place vegetables in a food processor or blender along with chilies which have been de-stemed. Blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to a saucepan. Add spices and stock. Cook an additional 25 mintues. Finish with a squeeze of lime to taste.