Virtually anything grilled with Granny’s teriyaki sauce is terrific. Sometimes we grill tofu, sometimes chicken, occasionally fish, or in this case for the first time, pork tenderloin. It’s such an easy meal to whip up on a week night and leftovers are more than welcome the following day. Pork tenderloin is lean and because of its compact size, it cooks quickly which means dinner is on the table in no time. A side of Japanese rice and baby bok choy makes the perfect meal.
Place the sauce and pork in a bowl, or even better, a Ziplock bag. Refrigerate for a few hours, turning occasionally.
Use a gas or charcoal grill. This time we used our gas grill and started cooking over indirect heat (to about 95 – 100 degrees internal temperature) then finished over direct heat to 145 degrees, basting occasionally with sauce. Our favorite digital thermometer the Thermapen is essential for perfect doneness. This cooking technique is also known as the reverse sear. The traditional method is to sear the meat first and finish in the oven or on the grill over indirect heat. The reverse sear method prevents an over done “gray” rind and the meat cooks more evenly with a consistent doneness and color from edge to center. Voila! In less than half an hour our pork tenderloin is ready.
- 1 pork tenderloin, about 1 pound
- Granny's teriyaki sauce
- Reserve ¼ cup sauce for basting pork
- Save remainder for finishing as described below
- Trim pork tenderloin removing any visible fat and silver skin. Trim off the ends if they are very thin so that the pork tenderloin is of uniform size. The trimmings can be frozen for another meal (tacos!).
- Place pork tenderloin in a Ziplock bag with ½ cup of teriyaki sauce. Seal bag and place in the refrigerator for 3 - 4 hours. Turn bag occasionally so the pork is well marinated.
- When you are ready to grill the pork, remove it from the bag and discard marinade. Grill the pork by reverse sear method, basting occasionally with the reserved ¼ cup sauce, until the internal temperature reads 145 degrees on a digital thermometer.
- Meanwhile, simmer the reserved teriyaki sauce in a saucepan over medium-low heat until the sauce becomes a bit thick and syrupy. Set aside.
- Let pork rest for 5 minutes then slice into ½ inch pieces. Drizzle with teriyaki sauce and serve with rice and steamed bok choy.
Grilling is a terrific way to prepare most any food, even tofu. There’s something about the subtle smoky flavor that can transform whatever you are grilling into a spectacular meal. And, in particular when teriyaki sauce is involved.
