Sweet and Spicy Pork Tenderloin

Behold my first pork recipe! It's a good one. When my daughter was just born, I received an invite from the "Cooking Club of America" to join their club as one of the country's top home cooks. First, I laughed because I am nowhere near the top of the list. Second, I told my husband and he laughed because he knows that they are just telling me that to make me feel good, to make me feel the need to be a part of a top cooking club, and to get my money. Well, I joined so I could get the cooking magazine. Trust me- If I went onto that show Master Chef, I think Chef Ramsey would call my food all sorts of colorful words. Back to the point- In their magazine "Cooking Pleasures," I found this recipe, and it looked good. I tried it. It is very good. It's sweet. It's spicy. It's moist. It's flavorful. I love it. Here it is:Sweet and Spicy Pork Tenderloin:

rub:
1 1/2 T chili powder (this is half the amount in the original recipe. If you like heat, add the 3 T)
1 1/2 T course salt (2 T in the original)
1 T black pepper
1 T brown sugar
1 T garlic powder
2 t cayenne pepper
2 t dry mustard
2 t ground sage

pork tenderloin

Glaze:
1 c orange juice
1/4 c pure maple syrup
1/4 c finely chopped onion
1/2 t Worcestershire

Combine all the rub ingredients in a small bowl.
Butterfly the pork. If that is complete gibberish to you, make a long cut down the center of the meat- not cutting through to the other side. I slice it about half way, open it, and slice it the rest of the way until it lays flat.

Sprinkle the rub on both sides of the meat. Pat it in with your fingers.


Blurry, blurry... sorry. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it cure in the fridge for up to a day in advance. I usually do it a couple hours before I want to start grilling it.

Place all the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan. Boil for about 20 minutes on medium heat.
A lot of the liquid will evaporate and make the sauce into a syrup/glaze. Nice magic trick. :)

Prepare the grill. Grill it over charcoal (or medium high heat for a gas grill) for 4-6 minutes on the first side. Flip it. Brush the glaze on. Cook about 2-4 minutes longer. The internal temperature should be about 155 degrees.

Brush it with more glaze, loosely cover it with foil, and let it sit for 10 minutes. It will continue to cook during that time and reach the right temperature.


Isn't that beautiful? You should taste it. Mmmm... Enter Homer Simpson drooling sound here. I slice it thin like the first picture and drizzle the remaining glaze over the top.

I also served Corn on the Cob with Parsley Butter, loaded mashed potatoes, and rolls.