Summer is my favorite time of year to host a casual meal for friends. Sunny days and balmy evenings are perfect for catching up and letting everyday stressors slip away. Of course, summer is also the season for grilling. Grilling meat and vegetables is a quick and easy way to make a flavorful meal fit for company.
A few months ago, I was making plans to catch up with a friend I have known for years. We don’t get a chance to see each other as often as we would like, and when we do it is rarely in either of our homes. It isn’t that our relationship lacks intimacy. However, somehow it became assumed that we would socialize in public.
Perhaps the credit for this goes to successful marketing campaigns by restaurants and coffee shops. These establishments work hard to blur the line between our private living rooms and their public dining rooms. “Where are we eating for dinner” has become just as common as “what.” Except restaurants aren’t as personal as they would like us to think.
I was running through the usual checklist of places to meet my friend when it occurred to me: the best place to eat is at home. The parking is ample and free, the wine and cocktails are affordable, there’s indoor and outdoor seating and a play area for the kids. And the menu is fully customizable.
Of course, even though I am excited to host friends for dinner I still want to spend the evening relaxing and catching up. To keep the focus on socializing, I turn to simple recipes with dependable results. One of my favorite ingredients that turns out great every time is pork tenderloin.
On the grill or in the oven, pork tenderloin cooks quickly and does not need a marinade to make it moist and tender (call it truth in advertising). It generally comes two to a package, making it perfect for entertaining. A glaze with some sweetness and a little tang complements pork’s natural sweetness. Brushing on a glaze also gives the tenderloin that glistening color that will have you slapping hands away as you bring the platter to the table.
Take advantage of summer’s casual pace and make plans to spend less time keeping up appearances and more time deepening friendships. In life as in cooking, let the ingredients shine for what they are and the result will always be delightful.
Balsamic glazed pork tenderloin
2 pounds pork tenderloin
Salt
Pepper
Glaze:
¼ cup balsamic reduction (see additional recipe)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon stoneground mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
1⁄8 teaspoon pepper
Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze. Pour half of the glaze into a small bowl and set aside.
Heat your grill to medium-high heat. Prepare the tenderloins by lightly sprinkling both sides with salt and pepper. Brush the grill with vegetable oil then place the tenderloins on the center of the grill. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes to form a crust. Use tongs to turn the tenderloins.
Generously brush the top of the tenderloins with the glaze from the small bowl. Cover and continue to cook. Add more glaze to the bowl as needed to apply a second coating. After 3 minutes apply a second layer of glaze to the tenderloins. Cook for an additional 2 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees. Remove the glazed tenderloins to a plate then loosely tent with foil. Let the tenderloins rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Prep: 10 minutes, cook: 15 minutes
Balsamic reduction
Balsamic reduction can be drizzled over just about anything you can think of from salad to steak to ice cream.
2 cups balsamic vinegar
Place all the ingredients into a large sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir occasionally. Reduce heat as needed to keep the vinegar from reaching a boil.
Continue to simmer until the liquid has reduced to half the original volume. The vinegar should thickly coat the back of a metal spoon.
Store the reduction in a clean jar or glass bottle with a tight fitting lid. The reduction should keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.
Prep: 5 minutes, cook: 40 minutes
Yield: 1 cup
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