Char Siew Rice

Ingredients:

2 Whole Pork Tenderloins

(Note: You see these frequently sold in a vacuum-sealed package. Most packages look like they hold one tenderloin but in fact after you open it you find two. It is not the cheapest cut of the pig, but it’s tender, it’s low in fat, and it takes on flavors like the wet rub well. Also, in those vacuum seal bags, they make great freezer keepers for when you are looking for something to cook some time without having to run to the store.)

Wet Rub

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 tbsp hot Chinese mustard (I use Dijon if I don’t have any on hand)

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sake (rice wine)

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

1 tsp red pepper flakes

3/4 tsp five spice

1/2 tsp wasabi powder

3 cloves garlic (minced/pressed)

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Okay, now this is so simple… it’s scary. In a bowl, mix together all of the web rub ingredients. Once fully integrated, set aside about a third of the mixture in a separate bowl and put in the refrigerator. You can use this as a dipping sauce later. With the remainder, brush the mixture on both tenderloins.

2. Once both pieces are evenly coated, I arrange them so they line up together. On one flat side, I spoon a thick heaping of the sauce and then place the other piece of tenderloin on top. This is the only tricky step in the recipe. I take butcher’s twine, which is usually cotton string, and I make loops to tie the two sides together. I space the loops about 3 inches apart and work to make what amounts to a single large piece of meat. This step is optional. Once the tenderloin has the rub on it, there is no need to actually tie it up. I like to do it because I enjoy the contrast of flavors caused by the char and carmelization on the grill and the saucy interior created by the think layer of the rub placed inside.

4. Place the meat in a dish, cover it, and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Here you are just letting the tenderloin marinate. The flavors from the mixture are mixing with those of the meat. You can do this step the night before or before you go to work in the morning.

5. After letting your grill heat up, cook the tenderloin bundle on the grill for about 11 minutes per side over medium high heat. You are looking for an internal temperature between 155 and 160 degrees.

6. Remove from grill. Let the meat rest for about 5 to 10 minutes. Just leave it alone. Two things are happening here. One, your meat is still cooking. It has a lot of built-up energy from being on the grill. Two, the energy is also causing the fluids that keep it moist moving. Therefore, you need to let it cool down so that when you cut it, the juices will stay primarily in the meat rather then flow out onto the cutting board. It’s a sad, sad thing to see flavor lost so needlessly.

7. Once cooled, remove the butcher’s twine, and cut little medallions from each tenderloin. Serve them with a dab of the original wet rub. My wife thinks you should cut the wet rub with a bit of soy sauce, but experiment and let us know. Enjoy!