COFFEE-RUBBED GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH ESPRESSO GRILLING SAUCE

Oven- or stovetop-cooked pork tenderloin doesn’t excite me.  Grilled pork tenderloin, on the other hand, is one of my favorite dinners.  I’ve tried several recipes, looking for the best:  Indonesian Pork Tenderloin, Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Ginger-Lime Vinaigrette, Southern Living's Tortilla-Crusted Pork and Easy Lemon-Soy-Grilled Pork Tenderloin.  They were all good, but the one I keep going back to is Indonesian Pork Tenderloin because of the spicy combo of flavors. 

Thanks to my local newspaper, I now have a new recipe that I’ll be using a lot.  The coffee rub and grilling sauce were intended for steaks, but go beautifully with pork.  Especially when it’s Niman Ranch pork.  No more Smithfield pork tenderloin for me.  Once you taste Niman Ranch’s pork, there’s no going back.  Yes, it’s pricey, but I look for packages that are marked down because they’re near or at their expiration date.  When it comes to beef and pork, that’s actually a good buy.  Beef or pork that’s sitting longer has a better flavor because it’s aging as it sits.  (Don’t try this with poultry or fish, though.  They need to be absolutely fresh.)  If your grocery store doesn’t carry Niman Ranch, try to find one that does.  And, full disclosure, I’m not being compensated in any way for this endorsement.  This is a product that I love, love, love.

Coffee-Rubbed Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Espresso Grilling Sauce Adapted from The Sun Journal Rating:  10 out of 10 Click for PRINTABLE PAGE

COFFEE RUB: 1 Tbsp. coarse sea salt (or kosher salt) 1 tsp. coarse ground coriander seed (I used fine ground, it’s all I had) 1 tsp. coarse ground coffee beans (I used leftover coffee grounds that were still moist) 1 tsp. coarse ground black peppercorns 1 pork tenderloin, about 1 to 1-1/2 lbs. Mix salt, coriander seed, coffee beans and peppercorns.  Yield:  2 Tbsp. Rub over pork tenderloin.  Cover and refrigerate meat or leave out at room temperature for up to 1 hour before grilling.  ESPRESSO GRILLING SAUCE: 1 cup brewed dark-roast coffee (I used decaf) 1 cup ketchup 1/4 cup dark brown mustard 1/3 cup honey 2 Tbsp. orange or lemon juice 2 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce 2 tsp. ground black pepper 2 tsp. coarse salt Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.  Store in a tightly closed container for up to 1 month.  Use it to baste or accompany beef, lamb, duck, wild game or pork.  Yield:  about 2-1/3 cups Leave rubbed tenderloin out at room temperature about 45 minutes before grilling.  Heat gas grill to 425F with one burner turned off.  (Turn on all burners and get grill very hot; then turn off one burner and adjust to 425F.)  Oil grates using a wadded paper towel that’s been dipped in vegetable oil.  Place meat on oiled grates over a burner that’s lit.  Sear meat about 4-5 minutes per side, then transfer to a burner that’s not lit to finish cooking.  Baste meat with grilling sauce once when transferring to turn-off burner, and again in about 10 minutes.  Cooking time will depend on thickness of meat.  It’s not necessary to turn the meat once it’s on the turned-off burner.  Check for doneness with a meat thermometer that’s placed in the side of the fattest part of meat.  Be sure thermometer only goes to the center part of the meat, and not all the way through.   Baste, then remove meat when thermometer registers 155F.  Cover and let rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.  If desired, serve additional sauce with meat a serving time.  If you’re lucky enough to have meat left over, it makes wonderful sandwiches the next day.