Pit-Fired Caribbean Pork Tenderloin with Passion Fruit Butter Sauce

Name: Pit-Fired Caribbean Pork Tenderloin with Passion Fruit Butter Sauce
Yield: serves 6 to 8
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 2 tablespoons apple juice; 2 tablespoons sugar; 2 tablespoons tomato-based barbecue sauce; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano; 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1/2 tablespoon distilled vinegar; 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 2 whole pork tenderloins (1 1/2 to 3 pounds total); Passion Fruit Butter Sauce (page 233)

December 9, 2011

Through changes in breeding and feed, today’s commodity pork cuts are 16 percent leaner and have 27 percent less saturated fat than those of just fifteen years ago. In my humble opinion, this might be a little too lean. Lower fat means less flavor and moisture within the meat. Regardless, one of my favorite cuts of meat for the charcoal grill is still the pork tenderloin. This lean cut has fewer than three grams of fat for a three-ounce serving; that’s as lean as a skinless chicken breast. Sometimes the pig doesn’t get the love it deserves, you know? To highlight the versatility of pork tenderloin, I served this recipe, inspired by my extensive travels in the Caribbean, the first time I cooked for the James Beard Foundation in New York City. Although I served it as an appetizer right off the grill, it also makes a wonderful main course. It combines some of my favorite Southern barbecue flavors with the traditional acidic punch of the food of the islands.

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