Grilled Asian Pork Tenderloin with Peanut Sauce

from Jason Gleed

adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine (July 2007)

• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a natural variety
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 Tbs. fresh lime juice
• 3 Tbs. dark brown sugar
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced (2 1/2 tsp.)
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• 2 small pork tenderloins (about 2 lb. total)

In a large bowl, whisk the coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, garlic, and coriander to make a smooth sauce.

Trim the pork of excess fat and silverskin. Butterfly the tenderloins by splitting each one lengthwise almost but not quite all the way through so the halves remain attached.

Open each tenderloin like a book, cover with plastic wrap, and pound to an even 1/2-inch thickness with a meat mallet or the bottom of a small skillet. Put the pork tenderloins in the bowl with the marinade and turn to coat. let marinade for 10 to 20 minutes (or up to several hours in the refrigerator).

While the pork marinates, heat a gas grill with all burners on high. Clean and oil the grate. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade, letting excess marinade drip back into the bowl (don’t discard the marinade). Grill the tenderloins, covered, turning once, until just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes total (cut into one to check) Transfer to a carving board and let rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the remaining marinade into a small saucepan and add 2 Tbs. water; bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. If the sauce seems too thick, thin it with 1 or 2 tsp. water. Slice the pork and serve with the sauce on the side.

I made a few modifications to the methods from the recipe. First, I used whole tenderloins rather than butterflied and flattened. Butterflying the tenderloins makes them cook faster & more evenly. If you don’t butterfly the tenderloins, your cooking time will increase and you run the risk of drying out your pork. So be aware if you make the change. Second, I put the tenderloins in a gallon freezer Ziploc bag and poured the sauce in to marinate. I marinated them for about 5 hours. Nothing beats a Ziploc bag for marinating. Third, I didn’t cover the tenderloins since they were in a broiler & cook better from the heat on the top of your oven without a cover.

One more note. Make sure you cook the marinade like the recipe says before serving! This had raw pork inside of it & it’s just not worth it to risk getting sick. Boil it & cook it some more. Be safe with your food! 

Note to Self: I L-O-V-E this recipe. I like a little more peanut sauce than it makes so I usually double the sauce and serve it over steamed rice. Soooo yummy!