Pork and Apple Spinach Salad with a Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

This salad was the bomb!!  Its got the flavorful combination of sweet, sour, and salty.  

I did a sweet and salty brine for the pork.  Stir together 3 cups water, 1/4 cup salt, and 1/4 cup coconut sugar.  Place pork tenderloin in a ziplock bag, and pour the brine into bag.  Let sit in the refrigerator overnight.  

I stick with lean meats 99% of the time so I ALWAYS use pork tenderloin.  Season it the right way, and its pretty darn good. 

So I'll be honest on this next part.  I was lazy and went with a store-bought pork rub.  It was a sweet, spicy, and salty combo.  If you choose to make your own, here's a simple dry pork rub that would work. 

Pork Rub

1 Tablespoon cumin

1 Tablespoon paprika

1 Tablespoon garlic

1 Tablespoon onion

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1 Tablespoon coconut sugar (or brown sugar)

1 1/2 (or more) Tablespoons sea salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

1 teaspoon black pepper 

I used plain pecans for my salad, but if you want to add a bit more sweetness, I recommend making your own candied pecans.  It's super simple!!  Just put the pecans in a saute pan over medium heat and toast for a few minutes, until they become brown and fragrant.  Add maple syrup and coconut sugar and stir until completely coated.  Cook for a few more minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool.  

Candied Pecans

1/3 cup pecans

2 Tablespoons maple syrup

2 Tablespoons coconut sugar

 

Pork and Apple Spinach Salad with a Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS:

Pork Tenderloin

Pork rub

Yellow onion, sliced

Green apple, diced 

Pecans, chopped

Goat cheese, crumbled

Bacon, chopped

Spinach

For the vinaigrette:

3 Tablespoons bacon grease

3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon coconut sugar

1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Fire up the grill!!  Rub the pork rub all over the pork tenderloin.  Cook until temp reaches 160 degrees.  

While the pork is cooking, saute the sliced onions over medium heat until caramelized.  Set aside.

When you cook the bacon, be sure to set aside the bacon grease to use for the vinaigrette.

In a small saucepan, mix all vinaigrette ingredients and heat over low heat.

Lets put it all together!!  Spinach, sauted onions, pork, apples, chopped bacon, (candied) pecans, goat cheese, and bacon dressing.  Yum!! 

Bacon = salty

Vinaigrette = sour

Apples (and candied pecans) = sweet

Pork ALWAYS pairs well with apples and bacon.  Enjoy!!