A spice marinated grilled pork tenderloin has to be one of my favorite meaty entrees of all. The char from the grill mixed with the intensity of the spices to bring a moisty juicy piece of pork really makes me a happy man. Serve that pork with something slightly sweet and acidic with texture to boot! I’m all-in. This pork marinade makes for a great lean meat technique that help the meat retain juiciness, while imparting it’s flavor. I know you’re really here for this peach salsa though and I’m okay with it.

Lean meats must not be marinated too long. Yes, there is such a thing as marinated your meat too long and with lean meats it’s crucial. The low fat content in proteins like white fish, chicken, and pork tend to leave the meat exposed to moisture loss. This loss prevents the meat from getting any juicier and flavorful. Our marinades are about making out meats taste better and taste juicier. For pork tenderloin, we tend to have around 2 – 4 hours of time to marinade. This formula varies based on the type of meat, cut of meat, and amount of acidity in the marinade. The acidity is what will dry the meat out.

Once your pork has marinated for all the time allotted it’s time to grill. We want to get the best and most browning on the grill as we can, so we first must pat the meat dry from the marinade. The marinade should be absorbed in the pork tenderloin and now we want to create the crust. Next let’s season the meat with salt and pepper, then immediately start to grill. Move the meat every 3 – 4 minutes over a 400° F grill to get the perfect grill marks. Let the pork finishing cooking on a cooler side of the grill while you prepare the salsa.

The peaches can be grilled and chopped into your salsa or you can save yourself the grill time and just make the salsa with raw produce. It’s all about how much time you have. This salsa is balanced by sweetness, saltiness, and tanginess. Taste for sweetness, then salt, then for citrus juice.

Time to serve your pork tenderloin. Cut your pork into one and a half inch pieces on a bias, then spread them out like you would a deck of cards, and gently sprinkle some peach salsa directly in the middle of the slices. It’s a showstopping dinner that will pair nicely with rice, potatoes, or grilled veggies.