Grilled Pork Tenderloin

This dish not only plates up beautifully but is fork tender, and the rich color and flavor of the sauce makes it a very elegant dish for entertaining. It is also an easy recipe to double or triple for a larger crowd.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

Meat:
1 (1 1/2 pound) pork tenderloin, silver skin removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red bell pepper, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh gingerroot
1/2 cup port
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1 ripe pear, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 teaspoons orange zest
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

To prepare the pork, preheat an outdoor grill to high. Rub the pork with the olive oil and
sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on the grill rack. Grill for 20 minutes or to 160 degrees on
a meat thermometer, turning once. Let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

To prepare the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium -high heat. Add the bell
pepper, onion and shallots. Sauté for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the
gingerroot. Add the wine and vinegar, stirring to deglaze the skillet by scraping up the browned
bits. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the honey, pear, cranberries, orange zest,
cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Cook until the mixture is reduced and syrupy. Sprinkle with
salt and black pepper.

To serve, carve the pork into slices and serve with the sauce.

Adapted from The St. Louis Herb Society Cookbook, third edition, The St. Louis Herb Society, 1994, page 187.
This recipe was featured in the January 2024 issue of the Society’s newsletter The Thymes.
To obtain a copy of this recipe click on Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Port Cranberry Sauce

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