Monday, May 21, 2012

MARINATED PORK LOIN

After grilling the same country style pork ribs  for the past umpteen years, I wanted a change.  I wanted to find some cut of pork that didn't need pre-cooking (in order to get it nice and tender). So recently, we started grilling pork loin (not tenderloin). The whole loin is very tender, flavorful and unlike the country style pork ribs that have lots of ... what picky-picky husband calls "waste" (fat, gristle, bone), the loins have ZERO "waste".  I usually buy a 2 pound loin and that is perfect for three big eaters (or 2 of us plus lunch tomorrow).

 
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons pineapple juice
1 tablespoon dehydrated onion flakes
4 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Put everything in a large zip lock plastic bag and squeeze it around to mix well.

Slice your 2 pound pork loin into 3/4" thick slices and put them into the bag with the marinade, making sure the liquid reaches all of the meat surfaces.  Put the bag in the fridge for 6-12 hours (I did it for 6 hours and it was perfect).

When you are ready to grill, remove the meat from the marinade (but save the marinade). Bring the marinade to a very gentle boil and cook it for 15 minutes. This cooking time will make the marinade safe to eat AND it will thicken the marinade so you can use it to baste the pork loin on the grill.

Grill your pork outdoors, basting the meat each time you flip it over.