Name: Chipotle Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients: 1 pork tenderloin, trimmed of silver skin; 4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely minced; ½ cup maple syrup; ¼ cup freshly-squeezed lime juice; 1 tbsp finely-grated lime zest; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 ½ tsp salt; 1 ½ tsp freshly-ground black pepper; 2 tbsp honey

Why it works: Lime and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,491 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓

Chipotle Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients

1 pork tenderloin, trimmed of silver skin
4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely minced
½ cup maple syrup
¼ cup freshly-squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp finely-grated lime zest
1 tsp garlic powder
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
2 tbsp honey

Directions

Marinate

Combine lime, garlic, salt, honey, and pepper in a gallon-size zip-top bag. Add pork and refrigerate 24 hours.
Drain pork after 24 hours. Set aside.

Grill

Heat 4½ pounds of natural chunk charcoal in a large chimney starter according to accompanying directions.
Once coals have heated, disperse them evenly around the bottom of the grill.
Reapply the grill grate and swab the grate with an oil-soaked towel.
Add pork to the hottest part of the grill and cook 1½ minutes. Rotate the pork 90 degrees and cook another 1½ minutes.
Repeat the previous two steps twelve times or until the internal temperature reaches 140°F for medium rare.

Glaze and serve

While the pork cooks, combine chipotle and maple syrup. Set aside.
Make a foil pouch and place the cooked pork inside.
Pour the maple mixture over the pork and tightly seal the pouch.
Let the pork rest 15 minutes and serve warm.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

387Calories

28 gProtein

15 gFat

38 gCarbs

Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 8 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Pork	100g cooked	242
Honey	1 tbsp (21g)	64
Maple Syrup	1 tbsp (20ml)	52
Lime	juice of 1 lime (44ml)	11
Chili	1 tsp (2.7g)	8
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Garlic	1 clove (3g)	4
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0
Sauce	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Lime + peppertop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,491 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Lime + garlictop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,411 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Garlic + peppertop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together27,090 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Pork + garlictop 13% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together7,169 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine (roasted, nutty).
Lime + honeytop 14% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together679 recipes

Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Pork tenderloin: Is the main protein, cooked quickly over high heat to stay tender and juicy.
Maple syrup: Adds sweetness and helps the glaze caramelize and deepen in color.
Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce: Provide smoky heat and depth of flavor to the glaze.
Honey: Adds sweetness and helps the surface brown during cooking.
Lime juice: Adds acidity that brightens the meat and balances the sweetness.

The step that matters

Rotating the pork and timing the sear. Cooking in short intervals over the hottest part of the grill builds browning on each side while keeping the interior from overcooking. Checking internal temperature confirms doneness, since pork can dry out quickly past the target.

Swap the garlic

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pork, sauce, maple syrup, lime, pepper, honey):

Gingerfits better
Thymefits better
Corianderfits better
Garlicthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against pork, sauce, maple syrup, lime, pepper, honey. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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Chipotle Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin