Grill Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Asian Barbecue Wet Rub

Hi eggers…

I wanted to try an Adam Perry Lang pork tenderloin recipe that I saw on the forums but couldn’t find the actual recipe anywhere; just saw the forum members talking about how good it was. So…I decided to try one I saw in Cooks Illustrated.  It turned out absolutely scrumptious!  It was only for my wife and me so we only used one of the two tenderloins that came in the package.

First I brined the tenderloin for 1 hour.  Before brining I removed the silver skin by slicing under one edge of the silver skin, grabbed the edge with a paper towel, angled the knife blade slightly upward and then carefully sawed back and forth and forward until the skin was detached.

The brine:

·         3 tablespoons kosher salt (or 1 1/2 tablespoons table salt)

·         ¾ cup granulated sugar

·         2 cups water (hot)

·         2 cups water (cold)

I added the sugar to 2C of hot tap water in a 1-quart measuring cup and stirred until it was dissolved.  I poured the solution into a 1 gallon freezer bag.  Then I added 2C of cold water to the bag, added the kosher salt and sloshed the water back and forth until the salt was dissolved.  I then added the tenderloin and put it in the fridge for 1 hour.  If you wanted to get scientific with brine you can use 6% or 9% of salt by weight, e.g. 2 QT of water weighs 928 grams so if you want a 6% solution you’d use about 56 grams of salt.  Most expert chefs like to use 9% solution because it make the meat taste a little saltier but believe it or not a 6% solution actually absorbs more into the meat which renders it a little more juicier and tender.  By the way...sugar has little if any effect on the texture of the meat, but it does add flavor and promotes better browning of the skin.

The wet rub:

·         2 large cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

·         2 inch piece fresh ginger, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

·         2 medium scallions, white and green parts minced (about 3 tablespoons)

·         2 tablespoons light brown sugar

·         1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

·         1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

·         1 teaspoon Asian chile paste

·         ¼ teaspoon five-spice powder

·         ¼ teaspoon table salt

Just mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl and put aside until the meat is done brining.  When the meat in done brining, rinse it good and dry it with paper towels. Then fold both thin ends under the thicker part of the tenderloin and tie them with butcher’s twine. Then tie twine about every 2-3 inches along the middle of the tenderloin. Then rub as much wet rub as you can on the tenderloin.  I wasn’t able to get all of it on the meat so I saved what was left to use as a sauce for the meat.

I set up the large egg initially for searing with my CI grate set directly on the fire ring.  When it reached 550 degrees I seared the tenderloin for 2 minutes on each of its four sides.  As I turned the tenderloin, I would spread a little more rub on it and spread it with a spoon. Then I set up the egg for raised, indirect grilling and roasted the tenderloin at about 350 degrees until it reached an internal temperature of 150 degrees. I know most folks like to remove it when it reaches 145 degrees but my wife and I like it a little less pink inside than most.  Then I took inside and covered it with a foil for 10 minutes.  Absolutely heaven


Here's what was left of the wet rub...



The meat after it rest for 10 minutes under foil...



After it was sliced...