Cherries are in season right now and since I cannot eat them raw…(sends me right to the emergency room :)…this week I decide to adapt a recipe in my kitchen studiothat I recently saw in a magazine for a fresh cherry salsa and turn it into a marinade that becomes a demi-glaze! I'm so lovin' it this Foodie Friday to be able to share my recipe for Spicy Grilled Pork Loin w'Cherry Demi-Glaze ;)
GATHER YOUR INGREDIENTS:
- 3-4 lbs. Boneless Pork Loin
- 2-3 Whole Limes (or 6 Tablespoons lime juice)
- 1 medium/chopped Onion
- 1 whole/diced Jalapeño Pepper
- 1-2 cups fresh/pitted/diced Cherries
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- 1 cup Apple Juice (or white grape)
- 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar (light or dark)
- Salt & Pepper
Start by preparing your marinade by chopping up one medium onion and placing it in a bowl. Squeeze the juice from the fresh limes removing the pulp (or keep it if you like it ;) and combine it with the rest of the ingredients.
Next chop up either a fresh jalapeño pepper or you can use sliced ones from a jar and simply dice them up real small. I used about 10 slices for this go-around because we like things spicy and DH said that I could even add more next time if I wanted to…so you be the judge for your own heat level ;)
If you have a gadget that pits cherries…then go on ahead and dig it out ;) I do not so I simply sliced and diced mine around the pit with a knife.
Once you have at least a cup of chopped cherries {the more the merrier ;} then you can add the ¼ cup of olive oil to your marinade mixture and thoroughly combine all the ingredients together.
Remove the Pork Loins from the store packaging and rinse and pat dry with paper towels; season well with salt and pepper. Place in a dish deep enough to pour the marinade over so that they can marinade in the dish. You could also use a plastic bag but I prefer to be as green as possible and stay away from adding more plastic bags to our land-fills.
Pour the marinade over the pork loins, cover and marinate at least 3-4 hours (or overnight) in the refrigerator...we marinated ours for over 24 hours…wonderful!
When you are ready to grill your pork loins, spread or spray some oil onto your grill rack and pre-heat your grill on high for about 5 minutes.
Then place your pork loins onto the hot grill…hear the sizzle ;) Reserve the marinade mixture…{don’t worry we are going to cook this thoroughly before using it after having raw meat marinating in it ;}
Lower the burner heat and CLOSE the grill cover; if you have a thermometer on your grill then it should be around 300 degrees.
Set your kitchen timer for 15 minutes and during this time, place the reserved marinade juices in a pot on the stove and turn the heat up high to bring it to a boil. Be sure to watch it so that it doesn’t boil over…once it comes to a full boil…reduce your heat and simmer until the timer goes off.
When the timer goes off…flip over your chops on the grill and get the other side seared…again…close the lid and set your timer for another 15 minutes.
Next, add the one cup of apple juice and two teaspoons of brown sugar to the marinade mixture and bring it to a full boil. Again, reduce the heat and slowly simmer the sauce to thicken it while your pork loins are on the grill.
Your pork loins are done when you cut into the centers and the juices run clear but are still slightly pink...or...170 degrees internal temperature if you have a meat thermometer.
Bring your pork loins in and let them rest at least 5-10 minutes before you try to carve them so that all the juices do NOT run out and thus dry out your pork loins.
In the meantime, keep stirring and reduce your cherry demi-glaze until it's at the desired thickness. You can add cornstarch to the juice before mixing it into the marinade mixture if you like it thicker, but we prefer ours a little thinner than a gravy ;) Pour your finished sauce into a bowl and serve...
Carve your pork tenderloin into thin strips for serving (tip...only cut the pieces that you will eat for this meal to keep the left-overs from drying out ;)
Pour your spicy, cherry demi-glaze on-top of your pork loin and serve with steamed pea-pods or whatever sides you prefer...yummy in my tummy ;)
This was another fantastic fix-it and forget-about-it recipe and it was perfect for this week because pork loins are on sale at my favorite grocery store...buy one get one free!!
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend enjoying your family, friends and sharing some great food.
Fondly, Roberta
Looks scrumptious!
Posted by: Deb | 06/03/2011 at 10:09 PM
ooh .. la .. la looking pretty tasty and buy one get one free too!
Posted by: sonyamacdesigns | 06/03/2011 at 10:48 PM
YUM! I love cherries. This looks so good... and it looks so pretty too! ;)
Posted by: Jennifer | 06/04/2011 at 10:21 AM
MMMM....please lets be friends? I am so not a foodie and need you in my life! :o)
Delicious~ I am going to try this!
Junelle
Posted by: Junelle | 06/04/2011 at 04:29 PM
mmmmmmmm - I don't know if the cherries would make it to the meat, but this whole thing sounds and looks delish...and even simple!
Blessings on your weekend!
Posted by: Cindy | 06/05/2011 at 09:11 AM
That looks way better than the pork chops I cooked tonight. I will have to try this recipe this summer and hope Carl will like it.
Posted by: Cortney Lyon | 06/06/2011 at 12:12 AM
Yum! Bummer you can't eat fresh cherries!
Posted by: Jen | 06/12/2011 at 10:19 PM