Our newlyweds, Kelly & Gilbert, recently moved from their tiny 1-bedroom apartment to a new place. The new place has 2 bedrooms, a sun room, garage space and a bit of yard. That bit of yard has started the Great Grill Debate. Gilbert really wants to get a grill now that they have the space for it. Kelly is resistant to the idea of such an investment. Whenever the newlyweds are around others, one of them will bring up the grill debate looking for support. So far, from the debates I have been privy to, more family & friends are supporting Gilbert’s reasoning for the major purchase than for Kelly’s counterpoints against buying a grill.

I can see both sides. Grilling is a great way to cook in the summer without heating up the living areas. A grill is usually a large, unwieldy object that is difficult to move and an added expense to the budget. In spite of their raging debate, Kelly & Gilbert invited Eric, Andrew and I over for a wonderful dinner in their new home. It did not require the use of a grill.

Thai Peanut & Orange Pork Tenderloin

Thai Peanut & Orange Pork (adapted from letsdishrecipes.com)  Serves 6,  Prep Time:  15 minutes,  Cook Time:  30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup orange marmalade
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:

Combine the marmalade, garlic, coriander, cumin, soy sauce, sherry vinegar, peanut butter, lime juice, orange juice, crushed red pepper and black pepper in the cup of a wand blender and blend until it is smooth. Alternately, combine the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.

Mixing up the marinade ingredients with a wand blender is quick & easy.

Season the pork tenderloin with the salt and pepper and place it in a gallon sized resealable plastic bag. Add half the marinade, squeeze the air out of the bag, seal it, then refrigerate the pork in the marinade for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours. Reserve the other half of the marinade for a sauce when the pork is done.

Marinate the pork for 30 minutes to 8 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425º. Heat the oil in large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until it is shimmering. Remove the pork tenderloin from the marinade, discarding the marinade from the bag. Sear the tenderloin on all sides, until it is nicely brown, about 8-10 minutes total.

Sear the tenderloin on all sides.

Place the entire skillet into the preheated oven and cook the pork for about 20 minutes, until a meat thermometer registers 160º. Let the pork stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Put the entire pan into the oven.

While the pork is cooking, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan with 2 tablespoons of water. Bring the marinade to a boil and simmer until it is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Reduce the reserved marinade to the desired consistency.

Slice the tenderloin and pour the sauce over top. Sprinkle the meat with the chopped cilantro for garnish.

This dish has a bit of a bite to it!

I’m sure there will be further updates on the Great Grill Debate!  ~Linda

Thai Peanut & Orange Pork (adapted from letsdishrecipes.com)  Serves 6  Prep Time:  15 minutes  Cook Time:  30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup orange marmalade
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:

Combine the marmalade, garlic, coriander, cumin, soy sauce, sherry vinegar, peanut butter, lime juice, orange juice, crushed red pepper and black pepper in the cup of a wand blender and blend until smooth. Alternately, combine the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.

Season the pork tenderloin with the salt and pepper and place it in a gallon sized resealable plastic bag. Add half the marinade, squeeze the air out of the bag, seal it, then refrigerate the pork in the marinade for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours. Reserve the other half of the marinade for a sauce when the pork is done.

Preheat the oven to 425º. Heat the oil in large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until it is shimmering. Remove the pork tenderloin from the marinade, discarding the marinade from the bag. Sear the tenderloin on all sides, until it is nicely brown, about 8-10 minutes total. Place the entire skillet into the preheated oven and cook it for about 20 minutes, until a meat thermometer registers 160º. Let the pork stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

While the pork is cooking, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan with 2 tablespoons of water. Bring the marinade to a boil and simmer until it is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Slice the tenderloin and pour the sauce over top. Sprinkle the meat with the chopped cilantro for garnish.