Search the Community

Ok, please no hate mail or bad reputation on this post, but my it's just my wife and I tonight and I have been preparing for a big brew day tomorrow so there wasn't much time. She brought home some pork tenderloins tonight and I felt I had to treat, just one, right. We've done this recipe countless times with chicken and pork tenderloin and it's among my very favorites. But because it was a small cook, I decided to use my original Japanese mushi Kamado that I've been cooking on for about 30 years. I know this is a KK site and I love mine too, but tonight I decided to spark my first love. She's petite by comparison and perfect for this dinner. I hope you don't mind and still enjoy the pics. The exterior of the Kamado was refurbished by me about 10 years ago with Rust Oleum grill paints and lots of tender loving care. She has had probably a thousand hours of cooking already but was looking pale from being weathered in the great Northwest without so much as a cover. I'm fond of her, if you can't tell. I crafted the table in which she's mounted as part of the refurbishing project. The tenderloin was marinated in a freshly made salsa with a number of additions, including soy sauce, sriracha, honey, scallions, etc. My wife hasn't divulged the complete recipe, but you get the idea. The magic of this cook is not just getting the meat done just right, but getting the smoke flavor into the salsa and keeping it on the meat during the cook. It's served tonight with a variant of sesame noodles that is infused with fresh squeezed orange and zest of the fruit. So now for the pics. Start your engines! A home-brewed wit beer and some oak ready to be added to the Lazzari mesquite lump charcoal. No, I drink the beer and don't add it to the fire unless things get really out of hand. Another one... Closeup of the tenderloin in the marinate. The tail of the tenderloin has been folded and skewered to allow for an even cook throughout. Placed on the Kamado I can't read Japanese, but a friend of mine who knows nothing about Kamados told me it said "mushi kamado", although she didn't know what that means. Rustic? Placing the marinate over the tenderloin while it cooks is key. If you're not comfortable doing this you can reserve marinate for this purpose but I'm always careful to make sure it it cooks though before the meat is done. The smokey salsa makes you want to dance. Closeup of the tenderloin during the sear Anther one, better centered . It looks like a huge chicken breast, but it's not. However, I highly recommend this recipe for chicken breasts too! After the sear, I shut down the Kamado and let the meat dwell, checking the internal temperature until it reaches 135 F, about 20 minutes. Onto the cutting board (note the skewer)... While it rested, I refilled my beer. I let it rest only 10 minutes because it cools quickly and my wife and I are really hungry now. It's in no danger of drying out, trust me. Closer. These pics are high resolution so if you're patient you can click on them, then click <<FULL SIZE>> and see it so close you can almost smell it. Well, I guess I should be polite and slice it, egh? Plated with the sesame orange noodles Thanks for viewing!