Marinated Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Szechuan Sauce

I love grilling pork tenderloin as much as I love roasting it—and it turns out just as juicy and tender as when the meat spends time in the oven. The key to grilling it is to prepare the grill for both on- and off-heat cooking. Start with the pork directly over the flame and finish off heat (but still close to the fire)—a total of about 30-35 minutes for a 1-1/2 lb tenderloin, for medium doneness.

I made a little Szechuan-style sauce here, based on a stir-fry sauce I make for chicken and rice or noodle dishes. Szechuan cuisine features bold, spicy, pungent flavors highlighted with chiles and garlic. The sauces differ from soy- or sesame-based Asian sauces in that they’re often tomato based, sometimes using tomato puree or sauce.

Here, I combined tomato paste with sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste) and then thinned the mixture with a little water to create the tomato base. Sherry is common in Szechuan sauces too, but I usually use dry red wine.

The other key here is marinating the tenderloin. A simple combination of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and peanut oil not only complements the sauce but also adds a salty, spicy flavor that penetrates the meat from start to finish.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp peanut oil, divided, plus more for oiling grill grate
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, divided
• 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped, divided
• 1 1-1/2-lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 1 red Thai chile, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp sambal oelek or other ground fresh chile paste
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tbsp dry red wine
• sea salt

Trimmed Tenderloin

Preparation

1. Combine the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon peanut oil, 1/2 the garlic, and 1/2 the ginger in a sturdy, sealable plastic bag. Add the tenderloin, seal the bag, and turn several times to coat the meat. Refrigerate 2-4 hours.

Tenderloin in Marinade

1. Light a grill for medium-high heat with space for off-heat grilling.
2. Whisk the tomato paste, water, and sambal oelek in a small bowl. Whisk the vinegar, sugar, and wine in another bowl until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Heat a small skillet or saucepan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. Add the chile, remaining garlic, and remaining ginger. Stir-fry 1 minute.
4. Add the reserved tomato paste mixture and reserved sugar mixture, stirring well to combine. Season with salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook 3 minutes.

Combined Sauce Ingredients

Chile, Garlic, and Ginger in Peanut Oil

Sechuan-Style Sauce

1. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the tenderloin directly over the flame and turn every couple minutes as char marks appear, then move off heat (but still close to the flame) and cook, turning a few times, until done, about 30-35 minutes (or until desired degree of doneness).
2. About 5 minutes before the tenderloin is done, brush it with a little of the sauce. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes.

Beginning to Grill

After Turning

Brushed with Sauce

Cut into 12 pieces, transfer to a platter, and spoon the remaining sauce on top before serving.

Marinated Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Szechuan Sauce