Great Pork Tenderloin BBQ

I was out in the backyard today getting ready for the spring barbecue season. I took a quick look under my stainless barbecue and found a cedar plank left over from last summer. Cedar planks (untreated of course) are great for seafood bbq, but they are also used for one of my favorite bbq recipes, pork tenderloin bbq.

I found this bbq recipe in one of the Weber barbecue cookbooks. They are a great resource for making bbq, putting together a menu bbq, and learning how to use charcoal grills and smokers. This bbq recipe for Cedar-Smoked Pork Tenderloin BBQ with Pineapple Salsa has become legendary amongst my friends.

Pork Tenderloin BBQ

Direct/Medium heat

Get 1 untreated cedar plank and submerge it in water for 4 to 24 hours. If you don't have this much time you can get away with less. Stores that sell weber grills often carry them, or you can simply go to your local lumber store and ask for them (you may have to cut them down to size). They are more commonly used for seafood bbq such as salmon or trout.

Next, make the salsa.

• 4 cups diced pineapple (get fresh pineapple like they use for hawaiian bbq)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon minced jalapeno
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 4 green onions, finely slicing the white part only
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

In a pan combine the pineapple, sugar, vinegar, lime juice, jalapeno, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring it up to a boil and cook over med-high heat for about 7-10 minutes until it gets kind of thick. If it is still runny, take out the pineapple and keep cooking the remaining juicy bits until it gets thick, then put the pineapple back in). Mix in the onions and basil, and add some salt to taste if you want.

The make the rub.

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Trim an extra fat off the pork tenderloin. Spread the rub all over it, then place it on the cedar plank. Leave it at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before putting it on your Direct/Medium heat grill.

Grill it until the internal temperature of the tenderloin reaches 155F. Keep a spray bottle handy for any flare ups. Keeping the lid down on your bbq as much as possible will help minimize these. Remove it from the grill and loosely cover it with foil, letting the juices set back in. Serve it warm on the cedar plank. Your guests will LOVE it!