Saturday, December 14, 2019

Honey Grilled Tenderloins

From: Southern Living cookbook 1992

Ingredients:
2 pork tenderloins (about 3/4-lb each)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
5 cloves garlic, halved
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp honey
2 tsp dark sesame oil

Trim fat from tenderloins. Butterfly tenderloins by making a lengthwise cut in each, cutting to within 1/4 inch of other side. Place in a shallow container or large, heavy-duty, zip-top plastic bag. Combine soy sauce, ginger and garlic; pour over tenderloins. Cover or seal, and refrigerate at least 3 hours, turning occasionally.

Remove tenderloins from marinade. Combine sugar, honey and oil in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves.

Coat grill rack with cooking spray; place on grill over medium heat (about 350 degrees). Place tenderloins on rack, and brush with honey mixture. Cook 20 minutes or until the inside registers 165 degrees. Turn once while cooking and baste with honey mixture. (Note: the honey mixture will thicken as it cools, but should thin out really quickly when reheated).


What I did differently:
I didn't have time to marinate these. I thawed them yesterday but I wasn't home today with time to let them sit. So they sat for maybe 15 minutes in the garlic mixture. Honestly, it was FINE. I'm sure letting them sit in the marinade longer will also be delicious! Also, I didn't use tenderloins. We had some pork chop ends from the pig we bought last year, so I just sliced those up. I didn't grill them, either. I just popped them in the oven, on a grill rack, for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees, flipping them a couple of times and continuing to baste them.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I liked this a lot - everyone did, actually. This is a really thick cut of ham so I was afraid it would be a little dry and bland, but it wasn't. The flavor was great. I like a sweet flavor of marinade, so I definitely wouldn't mind letting them sit longer next time before I cook them, or even having a dipping sauce made from the honey/sugar mix. I will DEFINITELY make this again because it was so easy to make and it was a hit with everyone (which is tough!)

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