So, as many of you know I am on this high protein diet and so I am looking through recipes for all things protein. And as I came across recipe after recipe involving meat and fruit, I started to wonder why this was such a common pairing. I was pretty convinced that it was some magical match-up that caused the sun, moon, and stars to align....and so you know where that led me? GOOGLE!!

I am sure you have all seen those recipes....pork and apples, cherries and steak, blackberry reduction sauce over elk....you get the picture! And thanks to Google, the first article I read was named "Made for Each Other: Meat and Fruit Pairings." I was pretty sure I quickly hit the jackpot.....

Wait for it....any guesses as to why meat and fruit are often paired together? Is it because the British brought this combo over to the Motherland like they did curry powder? Is it because the sugar composition breakdown enhances digestion? Is it because its a cultural tradition from Germany? Yeah.....well no....what my article told me was....that they taste good together!! Yup, you all heard it here first, meat and fruit are paired together....because they just f'ing taste good together. 

All jokes aside, this is a cool article that does identify the type of fruit that is best paired with the type of meat, so you can use this for reference if you are so inclined: https://spoonuniversity.com/how-to/made-for-each-other-meat-and-fruit-pairings

However, the article doesn't mention the pairing of pork and watermelon, which is exactly where I am going next....

I made a Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with a Watermelon and Cucumber Salad. Yes, this is totally me holding onto every last ounce of Summer before I go kicking and screaming into Fall. That being said, I loved the spice rub on this pork and the technique of browning the pork in a pan before roasting it, gave it a great exterior texture while keeping it moist inside. I also loved the Watermelon and Cucumber Salad, but I wanted a little extra heat so I added red pepper flakes and I thought that complimented the chili in the pork nicely. 

I don't know why, but I often shy away from cooking pork and this recipe was a great reminder that I like pork, its healthy, and its tasty. So, you may see more pork recipes coming your direction in the near future.

Here is the recipe courtesy of Eating Well:

• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons chile-garlic sauce 
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 
• 1 ½ pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 ½ teaspoons sugar
• 2 cups diced seeded watermelon
• 2 cups diced cucumber
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, toasted (see Tips) and coarsely chopped

• To prepare pork: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

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• Mix sugar, coriander, cumin, salt, chile sauce and 1 teaspoon oil in a small bowl to form a smooth paste. Rub the paste over the pork.
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• Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork; cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the baking sheet.
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• Roast the pork until just cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center should register 145 degrees F), 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand, loosely covered with foil, for 5 minutes.
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• Meanwhile, prepare salad: Stir vinegar and sugar in a medium bowl until the sugar almost dissolves. Add watermelon, cucumber and cilantro; toss gently to combine. Just before serving, sprinkle with peanuts.

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• Carve the pork into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve with the watermelon salad.

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For my friends who are also doing this high protein thing, here is the link to the actual Eating Well recipe for the macros: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/248715/spice-rubbed-pork-tenderloin-with-sweet-tangy-watermelon-salad/