Grilled Pork Tenderloin in a Pepsi Barbecue Sauce

Originally published on October 17, 2015

It snowed today. Not a lot, just enough to remind us that the warm weather is truly over for good. Around here we might not need to batten down the hatches, but we do need to pull our barbecue up so that the snowblower can churn up a nice path for us to walk on. Sadly, that means that around this time of year, we know that our barbecue nights are limited and so we have to make them count. This grilled pork tenderloin is one of my favourite ways to do it, and it’s the sauce that makes it. And by the way, that sauce is also the marinade. And it’s so good, I urge you to use it in place of your regular barbecue sauce from here on out.

Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin, about 3 or 4 pounds
1 cup ketchup
1 cup Pepsi
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce, plus 2 tablespoons
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup grape jelly
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce 
Salt

Directions:

1.) Start by making the barbecue sauce, as you’ll need it for the marinade. Place the ketchup, 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, Pepsi, brown sugar and hot sauce in a saucepan. Season it with salt and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

2.) Make the marinade. In a large bowl place 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce, grape jelly, Sriracha sauce, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, black pepper and a pinch of salt.

3.) Place the pork tenderloin in a large resealable bag and pour marinade over top. Remove excess air from the bag, seal, and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour but up to overnight. Wrap the remaining barbecue sauce and also place in fridge to serve alongside the pork.

4.) Heat both burners of a gas grill to medium-high heat before turning one of the burners off. Place the pork tenderloin over this indirect heat side and close lid. Cook for 20 minutes to half an hour, turning regularly, until the internal temperature in the centre is 145 degrees Fahrenheit for a medium cook.

5.) Remove pork tenderloin from the grill, cover, and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

6.) Serve and enjoy!