Barbecued Pork Tenderloin, Ayuh!

Ahhhh, vacation begins!  We arrived at Little Tunk Lake  in Sullivan, Maine yesterday, immediately tripling the population here (hardy har har). Mark and his sisters used to vacation here as kids, but this is the first time they’ve been back in about 30 years.  It is still very much like they remember, save for the newly built cabins and much-appreciated plumbing and WiFi.  The lake is warm enough, and the stream that feeds it is still ice-cold.  It is remote and beautiful and the most jarring sound you’ll hear is the loons out on the lake.  The kids run wild, exploring the dirt roads, racing sticks in the streams, and kayaking on the water.  It is quite peaceful. It’s great to be almost unplugged.  There is no cell phone coverage here, but a great wireless connection, allowing us city slickers to ease ourselves away from civilization without having to go cold turkey.

We are staying in two beautiful log cabins…

with great views…

and some wacky uber-Maine accents that make me laugh, like this moose (with a dedicated spotlight, no less)…

and a stuffed version of the rare and oft-unseen Northern Jackelope…

Each family provides dinner for the whole crew for one night.  Coming up with something that pleases everyone can be challenging, so I knew whatever we chose, it would have to be sure-fire.  Barbecued Pork Tenderloin!  We found this recipe in a years-old Cooking Light magazine that was hanging around. Flipping through it, I automatically dismissed the recipe with hardly a thought, put off by the long list of ingredients (more than 5) and two-step preparation method.  What a wuss, huh?  It’s a good thing that Mark came across the same recipe later. He left it open on the kitchen counter and said, with some excitement, “Jules, we should make this.” It’s a good thing he is more ambitious than me, or we would never have known of this delicious and really-not-complicated way to make pork tenderloin.

So, here you have it.  Dunk it, rub it, grill it — eat it!

Barbecued Pork Tenderloin
from Cooking Light
Serves 6-8

2 one-pound pork tenderloins, trimmed

Marinade
1/2 c. strong brewed coffee
2 T. cider vinegar
1 T. spicy brown mustard
1 T. dark molasses

Dry Rub
1/4 c. finely ground coffee (we use instant coffee)
2 T. sugar
2 T. paprika
1 T. coarsely ground black pepper
1 1/2 t. sea or kosher salt

Basting and Finishing Sauce
1/4 c. barbecue sauce
1 T. cider vinegar

1) Add marinade and pork to a zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator for 2 to 12 hours, turning bag occasionally. Remove pork from bag, discarding marinade.
2) Prepare grill by heating one side to high heat, the other side to medium heat.
3) While grill is heating, rub the dry rub mixture all over both tenderloins.  Let stand for 15 minutes.
4) Place pork on the grill rack coated with cooking spray over high heat; grill 3 minutes, turning pork on all sides.  Move pork over to medium heat; grill 15 minutes, turning pork occasionally.  Baste with 3 T. of the barbecue sauce mixture, then grill 5 minutes more, or until thermometer reads 160 degrees (slightly pink).
5) Place pork on a platter; brush with reserved 2 tablespoons of barbecue sauce mixture. Cover with foil and let stand 5 minutes before slicing.