- June 14, 2020
- Gluten Free
Easy Smoked Mole Sauce with Pork Tenderloin
This fabulous combination mole pork recipe is an easy way to create an out of this world meal! Learn how to make a big green egg smoked pork tenderloin with an easy to assemble mole sauce recipe all smoked to perfection for depth of flavor on the grill!
This recipe was written in partnership with Big Green Egg. All opinions are my own.
A rich, authentic mole is something to behold. Though this cocoa based sauce often looks extremely intimidating (and it can be), I wanted to create an easier way (with less ingredients) to get some delicious mole-like flavors but in a lot less time and for a lot less work.
Though mole is often paired with chicken and goes so perfect with these keto corn tortillas and smoked pork butt, I have found I love it most with a leaner pork tenderloin cut. The addition of smoke added to both the mole sauce and the pork tenderloin is what absolutely makes this recipe a true winner.
Get the full recipe below and read through for all the helpful tips and techniques to making this successfully on your grill at home!
“School” Supplies:
- Medium Pot
- Baking Sheet
- Whisk
- Measuring Cups/ Spoons
- Knife & Cutting Board
- Meat Thermometer
“Class” Notes:
Ready for some pork mole perfection? I am going to walk you through my shortcut version of making this mole sauce and how to cook and smoke it on the grill alongside a mole coated and spice pork loin as well.
30 Minute Smoked Mole Sauce-
What is mole sauce?
Mole is a popular sauce found in Mexican cuisine and is often known for being made with chocolate. However, it doesn’t taste like chocolate but a very rich sauce with some depth and nuttiness. It goes killer with this pork recipe!
Traditional mole sauces could take days and well over thirty ingredients. This is NOT that kind of recipe and is not considered authentic. I would say this recipe does a great job of giving you a mole you will love and one that is also keto friendly and lower in carbs too!
Sauce Assembly-
This takes the most time because even though there aren’t as many ingredients as a traditional mole, there are still a decent amount to help create a well rounded flavor. My sauce is made up of fire roasted jalapenos (skin remove but seeds added), onion, garlic, cocoa powder, stock, sesame seeds, oregano, cumin, and coffee.
Roast the jalapenos to start then remove the skin and stems and set them aside. In a saucepan over medium heat I start by sauteing my onion and garlic in a little canola oil. Cook these until translucent then add in the sesame seeds, salt and pepper, and other spices! Toasting the spices in combination with the veggies helps develop the flavor so do not skip this step.
Next, I like to mix in the jalapeno and the almond butter. I find sugar free almond butter a good lower carb substitute to using other grains or corn meal to thicken while still giving that noted nuttiness you often find. At this point I also sift in the cocoa powder and mix everything together to create a nice paste.
Finally, whisk in the coffee and the stock (veggie or chicken work equally well here) over medium high heat and let it simmer. Once simmering, remove from the heat and use an immersion blender to make it nice and smooth. Set aside to be transferred to the grill for smoking.
Prepping the Pork Tenderloin For Smoking-
Pork tenderloins are a quick and easy cook if you’re new to smoking on the grill. This is a great recipe to test out and dial in your Big Green Egg and get a good feel for temperature control too. Most pork tenderloins come prepped but may need some basic trimming.
Pro tip: Trim off the thin, tapered edge on the pork tenderloin. Often times this gets overcooked and it won’t cook evenly with the rest of your pork.
I like to cook the sauce first, then use a little bit of the mole to coat the pork tenderloin completely. A thin layer is all you need as a binder here for your spices. In a bowl, combine the spices for the rub. Because I am pairing this with a mole sauce I used similar flavors like ground coffee, chili powder, kosher salt and some pepper, oregano, cumin, and a little cocoa powder too.
Coat the entire pork tenderloin on all sides in an even layer to create a nice crust. Let the pork rest 15 minutes or so while you prep your grill for indirect heat. No pork tenderloin? Try a regular pork loin or even a smoked pork chop too for this recipe!
How Do I Set Up the Big Green Egg for Indirect Heat?
This is a low and slow cook, but the beautiful thing about pork tenderloin is that it usually cooks in less than an hour give or take. Indirect heat and a nice low temperature of 225 F. Your shooting for an internal temperature of 145 F.
Place a small amount of lump charcoal into the base of your grill and light the center. Let the coals get hot for about 10 minutes or so and close the lids to bring it up to the internal temp of 225 F. Once you reach this temp, place your ConvEGGtor attachment into the grill so the ceramic half moon stones are both in place to keep this cook 100% indirect. Let it come back up to temp again so you’re ready to grill!
How to Smoke the Pork and the Mole on the BGE?
Choose your wood of choice for adding smoke flavor to the mole and the pork. I went with a little pecan and cherry wood combo for a lighter flavor and nice color. I placed my mole in the pot towards the back and kept my two pork tenderloins towards the front.
Use a thermometer to check the temperature and once it hits around 140 F you can remove it and tent it to rest around 10 minutes or so before slicing so the juices can redistribute. The mole will be nicely infused with smoke during this time too and can be removed from the grill at the same time.
Cutting & Serving-
Slice the pork tenderloin into thin, medallion sized pieces. I love family style platters for meals like this and often fan out the pork so the mole can easily be placed over the top. I find garnishing this recipe with cilantro and maybe some cotija cheese helps with the overall presentation.
Delicious Recipe Pairings:
Make this meal complete by making these other Bon Appeteach recipes too.
Loaded Cheesy Mexican Cauliflower Rice
Easy Homemade Keto Tortilla Chips
Want to save this recipe to make it for later? Save it and all my recipes over on Pinterest!
Bon Appeteach,
-L
Easy Smoked Mole Sauce with Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
Quick Mole Sauce:
- 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1 small Yellow onion diced
- 1 Fire Roasted Jalapeno skin removed and diced
- 4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 2 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 2 tsp Sesame Seeds toasted
- 3 tbsp. Unsweetened Almond Butter
- 2 tbsp. Cocoa Powder
- 2 tbsp Coffee save some from your morning brew
- 1 cup Stock chicken or veggie
Pork Tenderloin Ingredients:
- 2 1.5 lb. Pork Tenderloins trimmed and patted dry
- 1 tbsp Fine Ground Coffee
- 1 tsp Cocoa Powder
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 2 tsp Chili powder
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- Cilantro & Cotija for garnish optional
Instructions
- In a pot on medium heat, saute the onion and olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for a minute and mix in the fire roasted jalapeno (I include the seeds but they can be removed if desired).
- Add in all the spices except the cocoa powder and stir until they are mixed into the veggies and smell fragrant about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the almond butter, cocoa powder, and coffee. Mix until a thick paste forms and slowly whisk in the stock. Let the mixture come to a simmer then turn off the heat. Use an immersion blender to carefully blend the entire mixture until smooth. Set aside for smoking.
- Prep the pork tenderloin by removing any silver skin and patting it dry. Use a few tbsp of the prepared mole to coat both pork tenderloins completely in a light thin layer as a binder.
- 5. Place the rub ingredients together in a bowl and mix. Then lightly and evenly coat all sides of the pork tenderloin and let sit while you preheat your grill.
- Preheat your grill to 225 F and set it for indirect heat. Cook your pork tenderloin and mole at the same time, approximately 45-60 minutes or so. The internal temperature of your pork should reach 145 F.
- Remove from the grill and let rest 10 minutes. Slice in thin medallion sized pieces and fan out. Pour the mole sauce over the top and garnish with cilantro and cotija cheese if desired.
Made this tonight and it was absolutely outstanding! We will make this over and over! Thank you!
That’s awesome Nina, I’m so glad you love it! Enjoy.