No. 1 : Quick Recipe
Bourbon Marinated Pork Tenderloin
- 3 TB Maple Syrup
- 3 TB Molasses
- 2 TB Bourbon
- 2 TB Sweet Chili Sauce
- 1 TB Chili Garlic Sauce
- 1 Large Red Onion, Thinly Sliced
- 1 Pkg Pork Tenderloin, (2 pieces)
- Olive Oil Spray
- Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- ½ Onion
- 2 TB Olive Oil
Step One
Pour the syrup, molasses, bourbon, chili sauces into a zip lock bag. Add the red onion and then the 2 pieces of pork tenderloin. Close the bag and massage it well to cover the pork. Place the bag in the refrigerator and let it marinate at least overnight – up to 3 days. Turn it over every 8 hours or so to ensure the pork is well coated.
Step Two
Remove the bag from the fridge an hour before you plan to grill. Take out the pork tenderloins, let them drain back into the bag and then place them on several paper towels. Blot anyway any extra marinade and discard the paper towels and the excess marinade in the bag. Spray the pork with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Let sit on the counter to come up closer to room temperature before grilling.
Step Three
Preheat the grill or grill pan. Oil the grill by placing a half an onion in a small bowl cut side down and adding a TB of olive oil to it. Stab the onion with a long fork. Use the onion to rub the clean grates of your grill, (or grill pan). When the grill is hot, cook the tenderloin over medium high heat from 5 to 7 minutes per side, depending on the size of your tenderloins. The meat is cooked when an instant read thermometer registers 145F. Remove from the grill and allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
No. 2 : Kitchen Scoop
I made this tenderloin in the dead of winter, New Year’s Day. It was delicious just by itself, but if I am making it in the spring or summer, I am going to serve it with this Easy Peach Sauce:
- 3 TB Finely Chopped Shallots
- 2 TB Unsalted Butter
- 1 Large Peach, chopped
- 1 TB Honey + 1 Tsp Lemon Juice
- Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Sauté the shallots in the butter until soft and translucent. Remove from the heat, and while still warm add the peach, honey and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
No. 3 : Clever Idea
This recipe came from a lovely gift, from two of my wonderful Taste and Savor travelers, Hannah and Sara. I thought the recipe looked super interesting with its use of sweet chili sauce, chili garlic sauce AND bourbon, so I took the recipe and made it my own, but I have to give credit to the original. The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook by Albert W.A. Schmid has lots of delicious recipes to use the heavenly liquor and I can’t wait to play with more of them!
No. 4 : Cheers!
St Amant Old Vine Zinfandel
Lodi California
About $20.00
Pair this recipe with a California Zinfandel, a red wine known for its bold, fruity flavor that will complement the rich, smoky taste of the marinade. Zinfandel grapes are made into wine all over the state, but one of my favorite places to source a bottle is Lodi’s St. Amant vineyard. This one is a classic Old Vine Zin – big, ripe, and chewy with rich raspberry and spicy blackberry flavors and soft supple tannins – ready to enjoy with this yummy pork tenderloin.