Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Pepper Jelly Glaze

Facebook is a curious thing. After signing up for the service, you connect with others who have also joined Facebook. Some people have only a few friends and others have 1,000s of friends. I find it hard to believe that anyone can have a 1,000 friends. How can you possibly keep track of that many people?

Some Facebookers are updating their status all day long. I need to limit my time on Facebook. It can suck you in and the next thing you know is it is 11:30 am and you are still in your pink fuzzy robe and the dogs need to go out and you can't let the neighbors see you are still in your pink fuzzy robe at 11:30 am.

I have 3 pages on Facebook. One is my personal page on which I "update my status." I usually chat about earth-shaking tidbits such as the robin's nest on my windowsill, what I am eating for breakfast when I should be exercising, or an article on organic foods I think others may find interesting. My second page is for my business - EAT! A Personal Chef Business. Updates on this page include menus I prepare for my clients, new services I offer, and the occasional podcast of a radio interview I do. My third page is for my blog which your are reading now. On this Facebook page, I recommend recipes for dinner and update what is cooking in my kitchen.

I have 270 friends on Facebook and I personally know about 90% of them. The ones I have not met are "famous" chefs or cookbook authors that I pretend are my friends, a few personal chefs from around the United States, and some of my blog readers who I feel like I know. One such person I "friended" lives in Texas and only knows me through my blog and Facebook. This person has left comments for me on Facebook and even sent me some of the jalapeno jelly she made from vegetables she grows on the family farm.


In this day and age, it is comforting to know that this person just sent me some jalapeno jelly for no reason other than to be nice. She didn't want me to link to her blog or mention her farm or anything. She just sent me some of her homemade jalapeno jelly to try.


I have enjoyed the jelly with brie and water crackers. And I have spread it on my morning toast for a little jump start to my day. I decided to try it in a recipe for dinner. Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Pepper Jelly Glaze was delicious! No Thank You Boy commented that the spicy cherry pepper slices hit your taste buds and compliments the the sweetness of the glaze on the grilled pork. Whoa! This unsolicited review from a kid who usually says, "it's good" when asked if he likes what I have made for dinner. My girls passed on the hot cherry peppers and liked the slight kick from the pepper jelly in the glaze. The Husband came home late and tired from work. He ate dinner without much fanfare and few comments. I take it that he liked it.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Pepper Jelly Glaze was served with sauteed spinach and roasted Parmesan cauliflower (florets drizzled with olive oil and tossed with seasoned bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese and roasted at 425 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes). This dinner is one that can be made ahead of time and reheated when ready to serve.

Thanks for the pepper jelly Camille! It is refreshing to know there are just nice people in the world. If I ever am in Joaquin, Texas, I am stopping by to say hi and I will be bringing you a few dozen cookies too.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Pepper Jelly Glaze

serves 5

1 pork tenderloin, about 1 1/2 lbs
olive oil
salt
pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup pepper jelly - available at most grocery stores and specialty food markets
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
sliced hot cherry peppers - for serving

Heat a grill to medium high heat.

Meanwhile, heat a saute pan to medium high and add the butter. As soon as the butter is melted and foaming, whisk in the flour. Cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the wine and cook an additional minute. Add the chicken stock and pepper jelly and stir the glaze until the jelly melts. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Remove from heat. Divide the glaze in half - half will be used to glaze the tenderloin while it grills and the remainder will be served with the sliced tenderloin. Reheat the glaze before serving.

Rub the tenderloin with olive oil and generously sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place the tenderloin on the grill and grill for about 5 minutes. Since a pork tenderloin is basically tubular in shape, you will want to roll it on all four sides to cook evenly. The tenderloin should not stick when you roll it to the next side to be grilled. Roll the tenderloin and continue grilling for 5 minutes. As the tenderloin is rolled on the grill, brush the top side with the glaze. Grill for 5 minutes on each of the remaining sides and until the internal temperature reaches about 140 degrees. Remove tenderloin from the grill, tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

To serve, slice the tenderloin in medallions and pass the remaining glaze and sliced cherry peppers.