Consider the pork tenderloin.
Wicked easy to overcook and turn into a dry, tasteless hunk o’ meat.
Now… consider this pork tenderloin.
Moist, tender, and oh! so tasty, with just the right amount of char from the grill on the outside (I credit my husband for his expert grilling – about 25 to 30 minutes over medium direct heat), but I’ll take credit for all of the rest of it.
My secret? A new marinade I tossed together to use up a condiment I don’t usually keep on hand – though that may very well change, now.
INGREDIENTS
•1-1/2 to 2 lb pork tenderloin
Marinade:
•1/2 tsp curry powder
•1/2 tsp ground ginger
•6 cloves garlic, minced
– or use an immersion blender
•1 tsp dried basil
•1 tsp rosemary
•1 tsp dried parsley
•1 tbsp steak sauce (I used A.1.)
•1 tbsp Sherry Peppers Sauce*
•1 tbsp Cowboy Candy Juice
– or use your fave sweet chili sauce
•2 tbsp olive oil
*No Sherry Peppers Sauce? No Problem! Simply add a bit of decent sherry (none of that “cooking” stuff) and a dash or three of your fave hot sauce, to taste.
Add the marinade ingredients to a beaker or sturdy jar, then use and immersion to blend well and chop the garlic – the marinade will be quite thick.
A note on the garlic. Due to quality issues with fresh garlic around here, I use roasted California garlic from the olive bar at my market. Since they are roasted, they are milder than raw garlic; so feel free to adjust the amount used to suit your own tastes.
Place the pork tenderloin in a gallon sized zipper bag, then pour the marinade over.
Close the bag and toss to coat all sides of the tenderloin with the marinade.
Stash on a rimmed plate – for to catch any drippage – in the fridge for a few hours or, always more better, overnight.
Give the bag a toss and a turn when you think to, and move some of the marinade around over the pork.
About and hour before you are ready to grill, remove the pork from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature.
Heat your grill to medium and add the pork. Grill for 25 to 30 minutes, turning every six minutes or so to sear all sides of the pork.
Transfer the pork to a platter, loosely cover with foil, and set aside to rest for five or ten minutes before slicing.
Perfectly grilled, and perfectly tasty!
We didn’t even think it needed any additional sauce or seasoning; though the grilled Marinated Asparagus with Feta cheese made for a really nice side dish.
Note: this amount of marinade was perfect for one, 1-1/2 pound or so tenderloin. If you are cooking for a crowd, certainly double (or triple) the amounts called for.