Southern Pork Tenderloin Salad

This delicious and refreshing pork salad is packed with veggies. Also included is our recipes for spicy buttermilk dressing and mini corn bread muffins.

Southern Pork Tenderloin Salad
Photo: Karla Conrad
Prep Time:
45 mins
Grill Time:
30 mins
Stand Time:
10 mins
Total Time:
45 mins
Servings:
8

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe Spicy Buttermilk Dressing

  • 1 recipe Mini Corn Bread Muffins or Corn Bread Cubes (tip, page xxx)

  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin

  • 2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 2 teaspoon chili powder

  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 ½ pound pork tenderloin, trimmed

  • 10 cup torn mixed salad greens

  • 1 15 ounce can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

  • 1 ½ cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes or chopped tomatoes

  • 4 hard-cooked eggs, quartered

  • 6 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and, if desired, crumbled

Spicy Buttermilk Dressing

  • ½ cup mayonnaise

  • ½ cup buttermilk

  • 1 tablespoon chopped green onion

  • 1 teaspoon chili powder

  • 1 teaspoon honey

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mini Corn Bread Muffins

  • 1 8.5 ounce package corn muffin mix

  • cup milk

  • 1 egg

  • ½ cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed

  • ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers (2 ounces)

Directions

  1. Prepare Spicy Buttermilk Dressing; cover and chill. Prepare the Mini Corn Bread Muffins.

  2. In a small bowl combine first six ingredients (through pepper). Sprinkle meat with spice mixture; rub in with your fingers.

  3. Prepare grill for indirect heat using a drip pan. Place meat over drip pan. Grill, covered, over indirect medium heat 30 to 35 minutes or until a thermometer registers 145°F. Remove meat from grill. Cover with foil and let stand 10 minutes.

  4. Slice meat. On a large platter arrange meat slices and next six ingredients (through bacon). Serve with Spicy Buttermilk Dressing.

Spicy Buttermilk Dressing

  1. In a medium bowl whisk together mayonnaise, buttermilk, green onion, chili powder, honey, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper.

Mini Corn Bread Muffins

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease twenty-four 1 3/4-inch muffin cups; set aside. In a medium bowl combine muffin mix, milk, and egg. Stir in corn and cheese. Spoon mixture into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups; cool completely on wire rack.

To Make Ahead

Prepare Mini Corn Bread Muffins; cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 24 hours. Prepare meat as directed in Step 1. Arrange salad ingredients, except meat, as directed in Step 4. Prepare Spicy Buttermilk Dressing. Cover and chill meat, salad platter, and dressing separately up to 24 hours. To serve, grill meat as directed in Step 3; slice meat. Arrange meat and mini muffins on salad platter. Serve with dressing.

Shortcut

Instead of preparing Spicy Buttermilk Dressing, use 1 cup bottled ranch salad dressing mixed with 1 tsp. purchased barbecue seasoning. Instead of making the spice mixture, substitute 2 Tbsp. purchased barbecue seasoning.

Corn Bread Cubes:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Prepare batter for Mini Corn Bread Muffins as directed, except spread in prepared baking pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Cut corn bread into cubes.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

492 Calories
24g Fat
38g Carbs
32g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 492
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 24g 31%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 189mg 63%
Sodium 964mg 42%
Total Carbohydrate 38g 14%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 32g
Calcium 143mg 11%
Iron 3.6mg 20%
Potassium 694mg 15%

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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