This flavorful dish exudes ease and elegance.
Smoked Peppered Pork Tenderloin
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons stone-ground mustard, divided
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 1 tablespoon plus 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1⁄2 cup plus 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
- 1⁄4 cup mustard seeds
- 2 dried bay leaves, crushed
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 quarts cold water
- 1⁄4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 (2 1⁄2-pound) package pork tenderloins
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Lodge Smoker Skillet and wood chips
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, 2 tablespoons mustard, horseradish, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper until smooth; sprinkle with chives. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
- In a small skillet, cook mustard seeds and bay leaves over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until seeds are lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in brown sugar and 1 cup water until sugar dissolves.
- In a large container, stir together sugar mixture, 2 quarts cold water, and vinegar. Add pork; cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 12 hours.
- In another small bowl, whisk together cornstarch, remaining 1 cup mustard, remaining 1⁄2 cup pepper, and remaining 1 tablespoon salt until well combined. Remove pork from marinade, discarding marinade. Pat pork dry with paper towels. Rub cornstarch mixture all over pork; let stand at room temperature.
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat (350° to 400°), or prepare a smoker according to manufacturer’s directions until smoking. (If using a smoker, proceed to step 6). Add up to 2 cups wood chips to Smoker Skillet; top skillet with lid. Place Smoker Skillet at rear of grill; close grill lid, and let chips begin smoking, 10 to 15 minutes. Once chips are smoking, turn off one side of gas grill or rake charcoal to one side of grill.
- Add pork to a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, and place skillet on unlit side of grill or side without charcoal. Close grill lid.
- Grill, with grill lid closed, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in center of pork registers 155°, 1 1⁄2 hours to 1 hour and 45 minutes. (Adjust heat and add charcoal and wood chips as needed to maintain smoke throughout cooking.) Let pork stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with sour cream mixture.
