I never used to look at pork tenderloin as a meal to get excited about. It was always ok, a little lacking on flavor, but ok. This summer I decided to change this, and I found two incredible ways to do it.
The best part? One way is home made, and one way is store bought, so there’s an option for you no matter how much time you have. Be sure to give both ways a try though, I honestly can’t decide which is my favorite. Full disclosure, the store bought way is a sample that I received for free. I can not get enough of it though, and it will forever be a pantry staple. I’m so glad that I was introduced to it (thank you Fischer & Wiser!).
First off, both tenderloins start off with the same rub. It is my go-to rub for pork tenderloins; a little sweet, a little heat. It leaves the pork flavorful enough that you could eat it without anything else, but it works equally well with some glaze or bbq sauce slapped on at the end.
My home-made glaze is a combination of your favorite bbq sauce and apricot preserves. I know it might sound crazy, I know. Just remember, it won’t matter how crazy it sounds when it tastes as delicious as it does.
The store bought sauce is Fischer & Wiser’s Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce. They sent me three fabulous sauces to try (you’ll see the Texas Pit one in a later post). I was most excited to try this one, and I just knew that the hint of chipotle would compliment my chili rubbed tenderloin perfectly. I will never not have this sauce stocked in my pantry now. It might be a little harder to find than some of the other options, but it will be worth it!
Enough jabbering, lets get to cooking!
Here’s my pork tenderloin spice blend. Make it, use it, love it: chili powder, garlic powder, sugar, salt, and black pepper.
Mix your rub up, and prep your tenderloin. Just get rid of the silver skin and any big chunks of fat. A little fat is love though, it’ll help baste the meat while it cooks.
Lookin’ good!
Now let’s make the apricot bbq glaze. Put the apricot preserves into a small pot and melt it down.
While the preserves are melting, get the rest of the ingredients ready (ignore the corn though, it’s just physically impossible for me to turn on a bbq and not put corn onto it). You need some fresh lime juice, hot sauce, grated ginger, garlic powder, and your favorite bbq sauce.
Preserves are all melted.
Add everything else to the pot. Couldn’t get much easier than that, I know.
Just stir it all together for a couple of minutes at a boil, then turn off the heat and pour it into a bowl.
Actually, pour it into two bowls. Put a bit into a small one for dipping the cooked meat into if that’s your thing (it’s totally my thing), and put the rest into another bowl to glaze the loin with on the grill.
Get your grill piping hot and oiled up, then throw on the tenderloin. Gas grill…
Or charcoal grill… doesn’t matter. 9 times out of 10 though I do this on the charcoal, and I toss a few handfuls of some soaked mesquite wood chips on for smoke. Warning though, if you do that you may never eat anything else for dinner again.
Once the pork hits 145 it’s time to start glazing. Now’s when you use either the apricot glaze, or the raspberry glaze. Up to this point the rub and grilling is all the same. Just slap some glaze on all sides, grilling over high heat for a couple of minutes to make it nice and sticky.
Perfectly grilled and glazed with the BBQ apricot glaze.
I had to show you guys this too. This is what the incredible rubbed and charcoal grilled with mesquite smoke tenderloin looks like just before the glaze. I literally just finished my dinner and I’m drooling over this. I think we might be having it tomorrow night. Again. The third time in three weeks.
And here’s that lovely smoke grilled tenderloin glazed with the Fischer & Wiser Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
That little red ring around the edge of the pork, that’s the smoke ring. Everything tastes better with a smoke ring.
I know, you’re going out to grab a tenderloin for dinner tonight aren’t you. Run.
Here’s your printable:
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with BBQ Apricot Glaze (& my go-to pork rub)
Ingredients
Go-To Pork Tenderloin Rub (per tenderloin)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
BBQ Apricot Glaze:
- 1½ cups apricot preserves
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 whole pork tenderloin
Instructions
- Mix together all of the ingredients from the spice rub in a small bowl. Trim the silver skin and excess fat off of the tenderloin, then rub all over with the spices. Make sure to get it in any folds and on the ends. If you want, this can be done up to 1 day ahead of time, just cover and keep in the fridge.
- Now make the apricot glaze. Put the apricot preserves in a small saucepan and melt over medium heat. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, placing ¾ into a dish for glazing, and ¼ into a smaller dish for dipping.
- Pre-heat your grill, and remember to clean and oil the grates. Grill the tenderloins for 15 to 20 minutes, turning half way through, until it reaches 145ºF on an instant-read thermometer. Brush the glaze all over the pork and cook for another couple of minutes on each side so that the glaze gets nice and sticky. Glaze one more time before plating, and lest rest, tented with foil, for at least 5 minutes before cutting up.
Notes
Don't forget to throw some soaked mesquite wood chips onto the grill for a delicious smoky flavor!
When you're tight on time just use the store bought glaze, and prep and rub the tenderloins the night before. That way dinner can be on the table in 20 - 25 minutes!
Lynna