What's Cooking Wednesday - Honey Spice Rub Pork Tenderloin

Before last week I had no idea what a pork tenderloin was. I wasn't even sure they carried it at my grocery store. For all I knew it was some exotic delicacy that you culd only get in gourmet shop. Certainly not something I could find at the local Food Basics. And yet when I went shopping there it was nestled in between the pork chops and the ground beef. Well colour me surprised. So into the cart it went and I really hoped I wasn't getting myself in over my head because I was going to attempt to barbecue this uniquely shaped cut of meat. Now remember my goal this summer is to expand my barbecuing talents beyond the hamburger/hotdog/sausage fare that I normally make. So even though the whole tenderloin aspect was a little off putting I forged ahead because I was really interested in trying out a spice rub marinade. How did I do? I believe the phrase is.... "hit it out of the park!"

Honey Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin



1/4 cup Catalina dressing
1 lrg pork tenderloin (1lb)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 tbsp honey

Brush 2 tbsp Catalina dressing over pork. Mix dry ingredients; rub onto pork. Let stand 10 minutes or refrigerate up to 24 hours to marinate.

Preheat grill to medium heat. Place pork on grill; cover. Grill 20 minutes, turning occasionally.

Mix remaining 2 tbsp dressing and honey. Brush some of the honey mixture over pork. Continue grilling 5 to 10 minutes turning and beushing with honey mixture until pork is cooked through (160 degrees). Let stand, covered with foil for a few minutes before serving.

What we would/did change: Nothing. This was fantastic. Even the thin end of the meat was nice and moist. Abby ate copious amounts of this "chicken", so it was a hit all around.

Score: 5 stars*

*Me: What would you score this dish?
Mike: Ten.
Me: A ten? Wow that's pretty good.
Mike: Well it was good.
Me: Yeah but ten stars out of five, that's off the charts good.
Mike: Oh it's out of five?
Me: Yes, it's always been out of fine.
Mike: Well five then. I give it five stars.
Me: It went from a ten to a five?
Mike: Yeah, but 5 is still perfect.