I know climate change is wreaking havoc on the world. I’ve banned a lot of plastic from our house. I compost and recycle like a crazy lady, all in an effort to do our part to reduce our carbon footprint. But I’ve got to admit I can’t complain about 75 degree sunny days as we approach mid-November. So I think it’s appropriate to share a recipe for the grill! These pork tenderloin steaks are guests-for-dinner-worthy in a non-pandemic time. Or worthy of an alfresco meal with friends.
Almost every time I make them, I mess up the instructions and add the mayonnaise to the marinade. It’s fine. Still tastes good. But I’m stating my mistake here so you can avoid it. Take out your frustration from online school, politics, injustice, isolation as you pound the tenderloins. I just place them in plastic bag (oh dear, I confessed to plastic!! I usually use silicone bags, but keep a box of gallon-sized ziplock bags on hand for raw meat marinating), and pound them in there. Score them ever so lightly in a criss-cross pattern to help the marinade seep in. I don’t love fish sauce, so I often substitute Bragg’s liquid aminos for it.
The pork is tender and oh so flavorful. I’ll often just use one pork tenderloin for our family because I forget my teen boy can eat and eat when the food is good. Don’t repeat my mistakes. Trader Joes is my default place to buy pork tenderloin. In my mind, they are more kind to their pigs than Smithfield, though I have no evidence of that being true. Whole Foods would be better, but I do have a grocery budget to stay within.
Garlic-Lime Grilled Pork Tenderloin Steaks
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork tenderloins (2 loins), trimmed
- 1 tbsp grated lime zest (2 limes)
- 1/4 cup lime juice (2-3 limes)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 tsp honey
- 2 tsp fish sauce (or liquid aminos)
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ cup vegetable or avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
- 4 tsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
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Trim tenderloins of fat and remove the silver-skin. Use sharp knife to cut both tenderloins in half crosswise (cut in half long-ways) which will create 4 individual, half-length steaks. Use a meat pounder (or a heavy metal water bottle) to flatten each half to 3/4? thickness. Cut 1/8”-deep slits spaced 1/2? apart in crosshatch pattern on both sides of all the steaks.
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In a large bowl, whisk together lime zest, lime juice, garlic cloves, honey, fish sauce, salt, and pepper together. While whisking, slowly drizzle the oil into lime mixture until it slightly thickens and becomes smooth. You can also mix all of this in a blender and slowly add the oil to emulsify the mixture.
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Reserve 1/2 cup of the marinade in a glass bowl (this will go in the microwave in a bit). Add the mayo and set aside.
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Place pork and remaining marinade in a gallon-sized ziplock bag; toss thoroughly to coat. Press out as much air as possible, then seal the bag. Let pork stand at room temperature for 45 minutes.
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For a gas grill, set all burners to high and close the cover, letting the grill preheat for 15 minutes. Then keep the primary burner on high while turning off the other burners.
For a charcoal grill, fully open the bottom vent. Ignite a large chimney starter filled with about 6 quarts of charcoal briquettes. Once the top coals are partially ashed over, distribute them evenly over one half of the grill. Place the cooking grate back on, cover the grill, and ensure the lid vent is fully open. Allow the grill to heat up for about 5 minutes until it reaches a high temperature.
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Oil the cooking grates. Take the pork steaks out of the marinade without drying them off and place them on the hotter section of the grill. Cook them uncovered for about 3 to 4 minutes until they are nicely browned on one side. After turning the steaks, continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes until the other side is also well browned. Once done, move the steaks to the cooler part of the grill, ensuring the wider end faces the hotter area. Cover the grill and let the steaks cook until they reach an internal temperature of 140°F, which should take an additional 5 to 7 minutes.
Notes
Source: America’s Test Kitchen