What’s for dinner? This time of year, we have grilled about one too many burgers and I struggle to think of something different.
Pork tenderloin is one of my go-to easy-to-fix dinners. But, this time of year, the heat seems to squash that idea. While quick and easy, leaving the pork tenderloin whole to roast or grill takes a bit of time. So, kabobs to the rescue.
I also love grilled pineapple. It becomes somewhat caramelized and I love the flavor. If fruit with meat is not for you, of course, omit it and use for favorite veggies.
So, let’s see, grill these kabobs and sip on a frozen white wine margarita or a Mojito slushie while they cook. Sounds like a great dinner to me.
Honey Bourbon Glazed Pork Kabobs
1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch pieces
Marinade:
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Kabobs
½ small pineapple, cut into 1 inch cubes
6 to 8 medium whole button mushrooms
½ medium red onion, cut into wedges about ¾ inch thick
12 to 15 grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup honey
1½ tablespoons bourbon
1½ tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste
Place pork cubes in a zip—top bag. For marinade, combine 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic and ginger in a small bowl. Pour marinade over pork, seal bag and refrigerate at least 2 to 3 hours or overnight.
When ready to cook, preheat grill to medium high direct heat. Drain pork and discard marinade. Thread pork onto skewers.
Alternately thread pineapple and vegetables onto other skewers. Brush vegetable and fruit skewers lightly with olive oil.
In a small bowl, combine honey, bourbon, soy sauce and mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set honey bourbon glaze aside.
Grill pork kabobs about 8 to 10 minutes or until meat is just slightly pink and internal temperature registers 150⁰F. Meanwhile, grill vegetables about 10 to 15 minutes or until done as desired. Brush each kabob with honey bourbon glaze during the last 1 to 2 minutes of cooking and turn kabobs to brown evenly. Remove kabobs to serving platter and brush again with remaining glaze.
Makes 4 servings.
Tips:
By threading the pineapple and vegetables onto skewers separately from the pork, you can cook the pork cubes until they are done, and cook the vegetables until they are done as desired. It is so much easier and insures everything cooks to perfection. Remember, you can substitute or add your favorite vegetables. For example, add red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces for the red onion.
How to cut a pineapple. Do you cut your own fresh pineapple? It is easy, but of course, you can purchase cubes of fresh pineapple, already cut, at most large grocery stores. To cut your own pineapple cubes, twist off the top leaves. Using a large, heavy knife, cut off the top and bottom of the pineapple, then cut down the sides to remove the peel. Cut the fruit, vertically, into quarters. Slice the hard core off each quarter piece, then cut the piece into cubes.
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