“Loin of pork” doesn’t sound very appetizing, but I promise it is. I hardly cook any meat other than chicken because it just seems hard. I’ve been staying at my mom’s house a ton this summer and she has reintroduced me to good pork. The other white meat right?? Anyway, it was my grandma’s birthday and we had a delicious meal courtesy of my mom who has turned into quite the chef! This recipe makes for a juicy, thoroughly enjoyable main course. Mom says pork loin can be expensive but she buys a lot of it when it goes on sale and keeps it in the freezer. On sale for her at Martin’s is $1.99 per pound. I cringe to think what it would be in Chicago so maybe I’ll take some home with me from South Bend!! Also, mom grew her own herbs this summer on the deck and she swears that also contributes to how great our pork loin was on Friday! The following recipe is from Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics
Grated zest of 1 lemon
3/4 c freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 to 6 lemons)
1/2 c good olive oil, plus some to brush grill with
2 T minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 1/2 T minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 T chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Kosher Salt
3 pork tenderloins
Freshly ground pepper
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2 tsp salt in a sturdy 1 gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze eout the air and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight.
When you’re ready to cook heat grill. Brush the grill w/ oil to prevent the pork from sticking. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and discard the marinade but leave the herbs that cling to the meat. Sprinkle the tenderloins generously w/ salt and pepper. Grill the tenderloins, turning a few times to brown on all sides for 15 to 25 minutes (my stepdude grills and swears 27 minutes.) tt should register 13hea7 em degrees at the thickest part. Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover w/ aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Carve 1/2 thick diagonal slices. The thickest part will be quite pink (it’s just fine!) and the thinnest part will be well done.
yum!
Sarah,
Grill the pork on a low fire, turning on all sides every 5 minutes.
Mmmmmm. Delicious.