Huli Huli Pork

Since we have been in South Padre Island, we have been surrounded by palm trees.  The weather has not exactly cooperated to create the island tropical feel with the high today being only 60 degrees with gray skies and wind gusts making it feel much colder than the thermometer.   Even so, I turned to a Hawaiian-inspired meal which included grilled red pepper and pineapple on the plate with some rice and a perfectly grilled pork tenderloin which was marinated and then brushed during grilling with a flavor packed sauce.  Some of the sauce was reserved and reheated in a sauce pan just before serving to be drizzled over the finished dish.  This dinner packed a punch with the sauce and was enhanced by the red pepper strips and pineapple.  Looking forward to having this many more times.

Huli Huli Pork
Makes 4 servings

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)
1/3 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon sweet Mirin cooking wine
1/2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced in half
olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 fresh pineapple slices, 1/2-inch thick
Rice for serving

Place pork in a large, heavy self-sealing plastic bag set in a shallow dish; set aside.

For marinade, in a small bowl combine the ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, wine, lime juice, ginger, and garlic.  Remove 1/2 cup of the mixture to a small bowl; cover and chill until needed.  Pour remaining mixture over pork; seal bag.  Marinate in refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Drain pork, reserving marinade.  For a charcoal grill arrange hot coals around a drip pan.  Test for medium-high heat above the pan.  Place pork on grill rack over pan.  Cover and grill 20 minutes.  Brush with drained marinade.  Cover and grill 15 to 20 minutes.  Brush with drained marinade.  Cover and grill 15 to 20 minutes more or until an instant-read thermometer registers 150 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the meat.  (For a gas grill, preheat grill.  Reduce heat to medium-high.  Adjust for indirect cooking. Grill as above.)  Remove pork from grill.  Cover pork with foil and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.  (The meat's temperature will rise 5 degrees during standing.) 

Drizzle the red pepper halves with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill about 5 minutes total, turning about halfway through.  Grill the pineapple slices the same amount of time as the red pepper halves.  Slice the grilled red pepper halves into slices when done and cut pineapple slices in half.

Meanwhile, place reserved sauce mixture in a small saucepan; heat through.  Pass sauce with pork.  Serve pork over rice with grilled red pepper slices and pineapple slices.

Adapted from Better Homes and Garden. com

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