Our Memorial Day grilling plans took an unexpected turn when the vaguely foul smell in the fridge was eventually traced to the chicken thighs I'd been planning to make. Although they still had two days to go before the expiration date, I did not regard the monetary loss as worse than a potential bout of food poisoning, so they were promptly binned. With trotting off to C-Town for replacement meat (at 6 PM on one of the most popular grilling days of the year) not being an idea with any apparent traction, we instead turned to the only other grillable in the house: a whole pork tenderloin.
Rather than just hurl it onto the grill caveman style, I sliced the tenderloin into two inch medallions and then set to concocting a dry rub that eventually joined crushed cumin with brown sugar, freshly ground coffee, chipotle chili powder, garlic, cayenne, plus salt and pepper. With the medallions coated in this potting soil-like mixture and chilling back in the fridge, I moved on to the ridiculous and probably unnecessary task of whipping up a batch of DIY barbecue sauce to brush on to these beasties as they
were set to the hot grill. With consideration for my Jersey upbringing, it's obvious that I have no license to strut around like some kind of barbecue sauce snob. Like most everyone else I know, I grew up with the customary bottled brands and although I never cared much for their corn syrupy textures, I grew to accept the stuff as a reasonable topping for grilled meats upon which ketchup would be inappropriate. ("Chicken", as it is called in some parts of the world.)
As such, I sauteed a bunch of garlic and shallot in olive oil, and then added a bit of ketchup, along with lashings of soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, hot sauce, and a few shakes of whichever items from the spice rack seemed appropriate. Or at least barbecue-y. Much to my surprise, the results were super delicious, even without bourbon. (Curse the lack of Makers Mark in the liquor cabinet... what kind of stay-at-home dad am I?!)
Meanwhile, back in the yard, the smokey wonder of the dry-rubbed pork medallions was garnering all kinds of envious looks from the burgers n' dogs crowd that was assembled in the adjacent yard. Not that grilling should be treated as a backyard pecker contest between yourself and the neighbors, but there is definitely a particular swagger associated with eschewing the traditional for coffee and cumin rubbed pork medallions. We considered this concept further over a bottle of rosé, helpings of grilled asparagus, crusty bread, and the pork medallions—which were magnificently juicy and delicious.
Then it started raining, which brought the al fresco routine to a sudden end. Tracks were made for the kitchen, where the happiness resumed and where holiday appropriate Scab Cadillac MP3s were sought with wild abandon. [Listen]
Happy Memorial Day.
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