Smoky Orange Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Ok, I know I have done the pork tenderloin to death lately but this is one of the best that I have come across in a long time and I think I owe it to all you before grilling season is over (or before it starts for my friends in the Southern hemisphere).

First you need a quick update from a past post; my cookbook dealer still stops by every week or so, he is keeping me supplied with books, (my latest are an old copy of Chinese Cooking Made Easy and Classic Soups and Stews) plus he has branched out a little bit, not only do I get a couple of books each visit, he is supplying me with periodicals as well. I suspect that he may be using them as gateway literature for people that aren't already hooked (you know the kid on a playground complaining that his mom made his sandwich with Cheddar instead of the Cave Aged Gruyere that he asked for).

Anyway on top of a few books each week I often pick up a grocery bag of Bon Appétit, Saveur or Food and Wine. Some are current some a few years old, which is fine; I mean if I haven't read one it is new to me. Like anyone who is hooked I find myself hiding them from my loved ones, not because there is anything wrong with an occasional culinary magazine but because our house has a bit of a clutter issue, mostly because I live in it and hundreds of magazines don’t help. So when I have a few minutes at home alone I will sneak in a bag of Gourmet magazines and hide them in the back of the closet or under the bed until I can get to them.

A couple of weeks ago I pulled out a 1997 issue of Bon Appétit (Summer Grilling Issue) and found a recipe for Rosemary Orange Chicken which, because of the food I had in the fridge, I changed from chicken to the delicious, if not a bit overused, Pork Tenderloin. So here it is Smoked Orange Rosemary Pork Tenderloin, a very loose interpretation from the above mentioned magazine.

Ingredients

6 oz frozen concentrated Orange Juice (1/2 a can)

1/4 cup white wine

1 TBS stone ground mustard

1 TBS chopped rosemary

2 tsp soy sauce

1 clove garlic minced

A dash of hot sauce if you like


1 Pork Tenderloin, trimmed
Big handful of wood chips soaked in water (I used cherry)


Mix the first 7 ingredients together in a food processor or blender then set glaze aside.


Once your grill is hot put your wood chips in a smoker box or a foil packet with top torn open, let it go for 5 minutes or so to start smoking. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on your pork then put on the grill near the smoke but in a coolish spot, I like the smoky flavor but do not like over cooked pork. Cover and let cook for 2-3 minutes then turn and brush with glaze, cover and repeat until it is cooked the way you like, mine was about medium so it cooked for about 15 minutes in total. When you take it off brush just a bit more glaze on it and let rest covered with a foil tent. The sweet, salty and smoky flavors work so well together and each of them is subtle enough that you can still taste the light pork. I served with arugula... well because it has that beautiful gentle peppery flavor that I just love...  Yeah that’s it.