If you’ve been with us a while, you know that pork tenderloins are one of my favorite protein items. Lean, and so adaptable to any flavor combination under the sun. They’re great seared in a pan and finished off in the oven, but I think where they really shine is on the grill…and that’s something we’ve been doing alot more of now that summer is here!
The good folks at Musselman’s asked me to develop a couple of recipes for them, which I always jump at the opportunity! We’re big fans of apple butter in this house, it’s long been a favorite pantry staple of mine to use as the backbone of flavor in dishes.
This time around, I made a simple barbecue sauce using Musselman’s Apple Butter as the base. It’s the perfect consistency for brushing onto meat on the grill as is, but I doctored it up a bit – some honey and brown sugar for additional sweetness, some cider vinegar for a little tang, and some molasses for depth of flavor. A little splash of bourbon would also probably be a great addition!
I used it on pork tenderloins, but would be equally as delicious on chops or chicken. Even barbecue sandwiches! Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to make a larger batch for a cookout. Definitely a good one to have up your sleeve this grilling season.
Tangy Apple Butter Pork Tenderloin
Prepare grill by heating to medium-high heat. While grill is warming up, prepare the pork and the sauce.
Season the pork tenderloins with kosher salt and black pepper. Set aside.To prepare the basting sauce, combine apple butter, molasses, brown sugar, vinegar, and honey in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cook the pork tenderloins over medium-high (direct) heat, turning occasionally, for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, begin brushing the sauce onto the tenderloins. Continue turning and brushing until pork registers 140 degrees, about 10-15 minutes more.
Remove tenderloins to a plate, and brush with the sauce one more time. Tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.
