Grilling season is at hand! It's time to peel back the cover, shoo away winter's tenants and clean the grates. Get liberated from the four walls of your kitchen and let the grill marks happen! While baking, roasting and sautéing will always get the job done, nothing does justice to a piece of meat like the char of an open flame. Today, I'm getting all fired up about pork tenderloin. This is not the other white meat, but the dark, flavorful, lean strip of lazy muscle that runs along both sides of the spine. Best cooked to a slightly pink center, about 15 minutes, depending on your grill, the tenderloin will retain it's juices and you may not even need a knife!
And since spring has me thinking about strawberries in every application, the dinner table will be no exception! I'm on a theme; for dessert, for supper, for breakfast and just plain fresh from the farm, I'm incessantly craving their sweet ruby red juiciness. And along with strawberries, mangos are also in their glory right now. It's those "Ataulfo" mangos, aka "Champagne" mangos, with the smaller and flatter pit, which never disappoint because they always ripen perfectly. Having presented my Strawberry Mango Galette a couple of weeks ago, I present again strawberry and mango as combination to accompany your savory offerings, a colorful fresh salsa that may have you off in a corner with bowl and spoon! You probably should make extra!
So go ahead, invite your friends, gather around the grill and serve up something memorable!
So go ahead, invite your friends, gather around the grill and serve up something memorable!
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Strawberry Mango Salsa
Serves 4
Pork:
2 tenderloins of pork
Marinade:
3 Tb soy sauce
2 Tb balsamic vinegar
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 Tb grated fresh ginger
2 Tb honey
Strawberry Mango Salsa:
1 cup diced strawberries
1 cup diced mango
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, ribbed and small diced
3 Tb red onion, diced small
4 Tb chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tb honey
3 Tb lime juice
Mix marinade for pork. Prepare the tenderloin by cutting away the silver skin strip from the side of the meat. This is very tough connective tissue that, unlike fat, will never soften in cooking and is a very undesirable addition to your plate. So get rid of it! To do this without cutting away precious meat, starting at the large end of the tenderloin, insert a sharp knife flatly under the silver skin as close to the strap of sinewy tissue as possible. While lifting the sinewy strap of silver skin, move the knife down the tenderloion, keeping the blade against the sinew, and cut until you reach the end of the silver skin. Although you may choose to strip away additional fat, I prefer to leave some of it for it's juiciness and flavor. Put tenderloins into a zip lock bag with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 24.
Combine salsa ingredients and place into serving bowl/jar.
Grill tenderloins until medium (internal temp is 140 degrees), slightly pink in center; it should take about 15 minutes, depending on your grill. Remove from grill, cover and let them rest to even out the juices.
Slice the tenderloins into 1” pieces and serve with salsa and grilled asparagus for a beautiful spring meal.
Serves 4
Pork:
2 tenderloins of pork
Marinade:
3 Tb soy sauce
2 Tb balsamic vinegar
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 Tb grated fresh ginger
2 Tb honey
Strawberry Mango Salsa:
1 cup diced strawberries
1 cup diced mango
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, ribbed and small diced
3 Tb red onion, diced small
4 Tb chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tb honey
3 Tb lime juice
Mix marinade for pork. Prepare the tenderloin by cutting away the silver skin strip from the side of the meat. This is very tough connective tissue that, unlike fat, will never soften in cooking and is a very undesirable addition to your plate. So get rid of it! To do this without cutting away precious meat, starting at the large end of the tenderloin, insert a sharp knife flatly under the silver skin as close to the strap of sinewy tissue as possible. While lifting the sinewy strap of silver skin, move the knife down the tenderloion, keeping the blade against the sinew, and cut until you reach the end of the silver skin. Although you may choose to strip away additional fat, I prefer to leave some of it for it's juiciness and flavor. Put tenderloins into a zip lock bag with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 24.
Combine salsa ingredients and place into serving bowl/jar.
Grill tenderloins until medium (internal temp is 140 degrees), slightly pink in center; it should take about 15 minutes, depending on your grill. Remove from grill, cover and let them rest to even out the juices.
Slice the tenderloins into 1” pieces and serve with salsa and grilled asparagus for a beautiful spring meal.
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