Last week was a big week in the Fanning-Bowman house. Our Weber gas grill--at least 15 years old by most estimates and recollections--finally got sent to grill heaven. The cost to fix the old girl just outweighed what new grills actually cost. I will give Jeff credit, though, he put in some serious effort (tinkering, ordering parts, offering prayers to the grilling gods, etc) to save the grill I had been using for over half of my earthly existence.
Our New Addition |
The night before, I used this marinade:
1/3 c. canola oil
1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
3 cloves minced fresh garlic
1 t sea salt
1 t course ground pepper
2-3 T chopped fresh rosemary
The next day, as Jeff got the coals ready (with the propane started it only took 25 minutes!), I put some apple wood chips in a loose foil packet in the grill to create some smoking action. We put on the pork (medium heat) for about 15 minutes, turning once. I like my pork cooked just past medium, so it is slightly pink consistently throughout. The most important part is to let the tenderloin rest for at least 10-15 minutes before you carve it to let the juices redistribute evenly into the meat.
We served this amazing pork with oven-roasted Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, lightly dressed arugula salad (lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper), oven-roasted garlic and rosemary red potatoes & onions, and sea salt and rosemary bread from Fresh Market that we had grilled with an herbed garlic butter.
We served it with DeLoach Pinot Noir (brought by one of our esteemed dinner guests), and it was a beautiful complement to the subtle smoke of the pork. The charcoal made an enormous impact of the flavor of the meat (and the bread). I am officially a charcoal convert.
I am confident that no grill has felt more love than our new addition that night. The ooohing and ahhhing just didn't stop. Now all we need is a name. Suggestions? Cheers!