Sweet Tea Brined Pork Tenderloin

All Hail The Queen! The Holiday Recipe club is celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the 60 year anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s reign over England. The HRC has embraced holidays and celebrations from all over the world. Why limit to US holidays? I think international events are quite fun. It has given me the opportunity to learn more about the holidays in other countries. It is just as exciting to me as celebrating family heritage. Here is why I made Sweet Tea Brined Pork Tenderloin.

The recipes for this event had to include one of three ingredients: tea, jam, or worcestershire sauce. I am starting to believe the HRC is reading my mind as to what recipes I am planning to post. It seems each time I have something to share that fits right with the ingredients. This past week I went to my local farmers market. It was opening day for the season and I was ready for farm fresh produce. I came home with a few things:

The squash begged to be grilled. At least it did to me. I also wanted to grill a meat to go with it. Steak is usually my first choice but this time I wanted something different. Sweet tea brined pork tenderloin is what I decided upon. It had been on my to-cook list ever since I watched Virginia Willis prepare it at the Chefs In The City event. Virginia used pork tenderloin at the event instead of the pork chops as stated in her Basic to Brilliant, Y’all cookbook(Amazon Affiliate link). I adapted the recipe with the same substitution.

The sweet tea brine tenderizes the pork and gives it a nice flavor. It is not overpowering and was perfect to go with the fresh vegetables. I also took the extra step in the cookbook to transform the basic recipe to brilliant with grilled onions. I omitted parsley from the original recipe because my husband does not care for it. I listed parsley as optional below.

Do you visit local farmers markets? What is your favorite food or item to buy? The freshness of everything is so wonderful. I look forward to it each year and it inspires me to cook so many things. I cannot wait to get back to the market this week to get more.

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Sweet Tea Brined Pork Tenderloin

Sweet Tea Brined Pork Tenderloin is made with a simple sweet tea brine. It can be used also for pork chops. Brine then grill for a marvelous meal.

Course Main

Cuisine American Southern

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 4 to 6 servings

Author Renee Dobbs

Ingredients

For the pork tenderloin:

• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 family size or 8 regular size black tea bags
• 2 cups boiling water
• 3 cups ice cubes
• 1 or 2 pork tenderloins
• Fresh ground black pepper

For the grilled onions:

• 3 onions Vidalia preferred
• Canola grapeseed, or light olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley optional

Instructions

For the pork tenderloin:

1. Combine the salt, sugar, and tea bags in a heat proof bowl. Pour over the boiling water and stir to dissolve. Let steep for 10 minutes. Add the ice and stir to cool. Add the pork, cover the bowl, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Do not brine longer or the pork will be too salty. Remove the pork from the brine, rinse well, and pat dry with paper towels. For even thickness (better for grilling) tie the tenderloin tucking in the thinner end. Allow the pork to get to room temperature (about 1 hour). Season the pork with pepper before placing on the grill.
2. Grill tenderloin(s) on medium heat, turning it every 3 to 5 minutes, until the internal temperature reads 145 degrees F. Remove the pork from the grill and place on a cutting board. Tent with foil and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the tie and slice the tenderloin into 1/4 to 1/2-inch slices. Transfer slices to a serving platter.

For the grilled onions:

1. While the pork in marinating, slice the onions into 1/2-inch rings. Place the rings on a rimmed baking sheet and brush both sides with oil. Season with salt and pepper.
2. While the pork is grilling, place the onion rings on the cooler part of the grill and cook, turning once, until tender, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the onion rings and place in a bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap (to trap the heat and continue to cook and wilt the onions). Let rest until ready to serve. Add the sherry vinegar and parlsey (if using) and toss to combine and coat. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed or to taste. Serve alongside pork slices.

Recipe Notes

Recipe adapted from Virginia Willis Basic to Brilliant, Y'all cookbook (page 145, Sweet Tea-Brined Pork Blade Steaks). Recipe courtesy Virginia Willis.