We love to make pork tenderloin, especially during grilling season when we can just throw it on the gas grill outside on our back patio. And here in Florida, the weather is suited for outdoor grilling most of the year. Well, this winter has been cold, but I really can’t complain all that much.
My brother-in-law turned us on to a really easy marinade for pork tenderloins using Dale’s Seasoning. It’s so simple just to marinade the pork for an hour or so before grilling, and the meat has wonderful flavor. In fact, it’s usually our go-to marinade for this cut of meat.
The April 2010 issue of Food and Wine magazine arrived in our mailbox this past week, and on page 48 is a recipe for Spicy Lemon-Rosemary Pork Tenderloin. Since we like lemon, rosemary, and most anything spicy, I thought we’d give it a try. I’ve listed the recipe below, but it’s really very simple — olive oil, fresh lemon juice, rosemary leaves, crushed red pepper, and garlic cloves. And pork tenderloins. That’s it.
The recipe called for searing in a skillet, but since I’d been on my feet most of the day, I convinced my husband to fire up the gas grill and take over for me.
The verdict? The meat was very tender, with great flavor from the marinade. And it was spicy. Probably a bit too spicy for the kids, and maybe a tad too spicy for me, but my husband really enjoyed it. When he gets seconds, I know we’ve hit on a good recipe. He went for seconds of this.
I had been thinking of a white wine to cut through the spiciness of the marinade, perhaps a dry Reisling. Food and Wine recommended a Syrah, so I decided to go with their suggestion. The 2008 Mollydooker Two Left Feet is a mostly Shiraz (Syrah) blend. Great wine, very big and bold, and high alcohol (16%). I think a Reisling would have been a better choice for these spices, though.
Yield: Serves 4-6.
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons crushed red pepper (or less, depending on your tastes)
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
Two 1-pound pork tenderloins
Salt and freshly ground pepper
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary, red pepper, garlic, and pork. Press out any air remaining in the bag, seal, and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours. Note: We let it sit for about 3 hours, which I thought was plenty.
Let the pork stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Heat a gas grill until fully heated, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pork from the marinade and scrape off most of the garlic and rosemary. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Put pork tenderloins on hot grill grate. Grill, turning occasionally, until thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 145 degrees, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from grill, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Only slightly adapted from Food and Wine.