Lemon-Thyme Grilled Pork Tenderloin Steaks
By Dan SouzaPublished on March 5, 2014
Time
1¼ hours, plus 45 minutes marinating
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
2 pounds pork tenderloins (2 loins), trimmed1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, from 2 lemons¼ cup lemon juice, from 2 lmeons4 garlic cloves, minced4 teaspoons honey 2 teaspoons fish sauce 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme ¾ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper ½ cup vegetable oil 4 teaspoons mayonnaise Flake sea salt (optional)
Before You Begin
Since marinating is a key step in this recipe, we don’t recommend using enhanced pork.
Instructions
- Slice each tenderloin in half crosswise to create 4 steaks total. Pound each half to 3/4-inch thickness. Using sharp knife, cut 1/8-inch-deep slits spaced 1/2 inch apart in crosshatch pattern on both sides of steaks.
- Whisk lemon zest and juice, garlic, honey, fish sauce, thyme, salt, and pepper together in large bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle oil into lemon mixture until smooth and slightly thickened. Transfer 1/2 cup lemon mixture to small bowl and whisk in mayonnaise; set aside sauce. Add steaks to bowl with remaining marinade and toss thoroughly to coat; transfer steaks and marinade to large zipper-lock bag, press out as much air as possible, and seal bag. Let steaks sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s).
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Remove steaks from marinade (do not pat dry) and place over hotter part of grill. Cook, uncovered, until well browned on first side, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip steaks and cook until well browned on second side, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer steaks to cooler part of grill, with wider end of each steak facing hotter part of grill. Cover and cook until meat registers 140 degrees, 3 to 8 minutes longer (remove steaks as they come to temperature). Transfer steaks to carving board and let rest for 5 minutes.
- While steaks rest, microwave reserved sauce until warm, 15 to 30 seconds. Slice steaks against grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Drizzle with half of sauce; sprinkle with sea salt, if using; and serve, passing remaining sauce separately.
Time
1¼ hours, plus 45 minutes marinatingYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
2 pounds pork tenderloins (2 loins), trimmed
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, from 2 lemons
¼ cup lemon juice, from 2 lmeons
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ cup vegetable oil
4 teaspoons mayonnaise
Flake sea salt (optional)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 pounds pork tenderloins (2 loins), trimmed
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, from 2 lemons
¼ cup lemon juice, from 2 lmeons
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ cup vegetable oil
4 teaspoons mayonnaise
Flake sea salt (optional)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 pounds pork tenderloins (2 loins), trimmed
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, from 2 lemons
¼ cup lemon juice, from 2 lmeons
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ cup vegetable oil
4 teaspoons mayonnaise
Flake sea salt (optional)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Thin pork medallions are tricky to cook well on the grill. We ditched the traditional shape in favor of pork tenderloin “steaks” by cutting tenderloins in half and pounding them to 3/4 inch thick. This simple step increased their surface area for a better ratio of browned exterior to tender interior. We also cut thin slashes in the steaks to promote better penetration of a garlic-citrus marinade that includes honey for better browning and fish sauce for meatiness. Finally we left excess marinade on the steaks to help keep their exteriors from drying out on the grill and then thickened some reserved marinade with mayonnaise for a bold finishing sauce.
Before You Begin
Since marinating is a key step in this recipe, we don’t recommend using enhanced pork.
Instructions
- Slice each tenderloin in half crosswise to create 4 steaks total. Pound each half to 3/4-inch thickness. Using sharp knife, cut 1/8-inch-deep slits spaced 1/2 inch apart in crosshatch pattern on both sides of steaks.
- Whisk lemon zest and juice, garlic, honey, fish sauce, thyme, salt, and pepper together in large bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle oil into lemon mixture until smooth and slightly thickened. Transfer 1/2 cup lemon mixture to small bowl and whisk in mayonnaise; set aside sauce. Add steaks to bowl with remaining marinade and toss thoroughly to coat; transfer steaks and marinade to large zipper-lock bag, press out as much air as possible, and seal bag. Let steaks sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s).
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Remove steaks from marinade (do not pat dry) and place over hotter part of grill. Cook, uncovered, until well browned on first side, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip steaks and cook until well browned on second side, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer steaks to cooler part of grill, with wider end of each steak facing hotter part of grill. Cover and cook until meat registers 140 degrees, 3 to 8 minutes longer (remove steaks as they come to temperature). Transfer steaks to carving board and let rest for 5 minutes.
- While steaks rest, microwave reserved sauce until warm, 15 to 30 seconds. Slice steaks against grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Drizzle with half of sauce; sprinkle with sea salt, if using; and serve, passing remaining sauce separately.
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