Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2009

Show: Good EatsEpisode: Tender is the Pork

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (60)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(60)

Cook Time:
15 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
4 servings

Times:

Prep: 20 min
Inactive Prep: 6 hr 0 min
Cook: 15 min
Total:: 6 hr 35 min

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Ingredients

1 whole pork tenderloin, approximately 1 pound
1 lime, zest finely grated
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Trim the pork tenderloin of any excess fat and silver skin.

Place the lime zest, lime juice, honey, salt, and garlic powder in a small, lidded jar and shake to combine. Pour half of the marinade mixture into a 1-gallon resealable bag, add the chipotle pepper, and move around to combine. Add the pork tenderloin to the bag and seal, removing as much air as possible and place in a container to catch any leaks. Marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours, rotating the bag halfway through the time. Place the remaining marinade in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove the tenderloin from the bag and allow to sit at room temperature while preparing the grill. Remove the reserved marinade from the refrigerator.

Fill a large chimney starter with natural lump charcoal and light. Once the charcoal is ashy and white, approximately 30 minutes, dump the hot charcoal onto the lowest grate of the grill and spread into an even layer using extra-long tongs. Place the cooking grate back on the grill and cover with the lid; heat the grate to medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

Brush the grill with vegetable oil. Remove the tenderloin from the bag and place in the center of grate. Discard bag with marinade. Cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, turning every 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until the tenderloin reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.

Remove the tenderloin from the grill and place on a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil folded at the edges to create a basket, and pour on the reserved marinade. Wrap tightly and rest for 10 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and slice. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Mindy Redmond, WA 02-01-2010
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This is the way to go
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

We love this recipe. It's quick and easy and packed with flavor.
recipe Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Andrew West Chester, PA 02-01-2010
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The lime make this pork sing!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

The lime make this pork dish.
recipe Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Heather Richmond, VA 01-31-2010
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Great method! Bad marinade!
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

We loved this method of grilling the tenderloin, wrapping it in foil with xs marinade and letting it sit. This produces a... lovely texture and moistness in the meat and this is how we have made our pork tenderloin ever since we tried this recipe. I am even going to go out in 11.4 inches of snow to grill one tonight! However, we found the marinade to be pretty awful. We love lime and citrus, but it is just not a great flavor with the tenderloin. Adopt the method and use your own mariande.Read more
recipe Grilled Pork Tenderloin
W Brooklyn, NY 01-28-2010
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Good recipe if you like lime
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

While I don't think the flavor was "too limey", I do think you have to like a strong citrus taste to enjoy this dish. The... lime is clearly the star of the show, so if that's not your favorite flavor, you might be better off trying something else. I also agree with other comments suggesting a gas grill will require more time to cook, which I think does have the potential to dry out the end product. A better idea is probably to finish cooking the meat by placing the tinfoil tent into the oven for about 10 minutes. One other point to mention is I don't get the point of the chipotle because the smokey flavor doesn't translate. If I made this again, I would consider more chipotles, some of the adobo sauce as well as more honey and a little bit less lime.Read more
recipe Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Roberta Guilford, CT 01-27-2010
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Grilled Tenderloin
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This was delicious. My only question, are you supposed to chop the Chipotle pepper, or put it into the marinade whole?
recipe Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Danee Parsippany, NJ 01-26-2010
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Best Pork Tenderloin Recipe Ever
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Its amazing how such a simple recipe yields such a sophisticated and delicious result. You will not be dissapointed.