Cocoa-Spiced Beef Tenderloin With Pineapple Salsa

• ½ Tbsp vegetable oil
  1 beef tenderloin roast (16 oz)

• For salsa:

  ½ C canned diced pineapple, in fruit juice, chopped into small pieces
  ¼ C red onion, minced
  2 tsp fresh cilantro, rinsed, dried, and chopped (or substitute ¼ tsp dried coriander)
  1 Tbsp lemon juice

• For seasoning:

  1 tsp ground black pepper
  1 tsp ground coriander
  1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
  ¼ tsp ground allspice
  1 Tbsp cocoa powder (unsweetened)
  2 tsp chili powder
  ¼ tsp salt

Directions

• 1

  Preheat oven to 375 ºF.

• 2

  For the salsa, combine all ingredients and toss well.  Let sit for 10–15 minutes to marinate while preparing the seasoning and cooking the meat.

• 3

  For the beef tenderloin seasoning, combine all ingredients.  Lightly oil the tenderloin and spread an even layer of the dry seasoning over the entire roast. 

• 4

  Place the seasoned roast on a roasting or broiling pan and roast 10–15 minutes (to a minimum internal temperature of 145 ºF).  Let cool for 5 minutes before carving into 16 slices (1 ounce each).

• 5

  Serve four slices of the tenderloin with ¼ cup salsa on the side.