I was excited to see California apricots and other stone fruit starting to show up in the store the past week. Grilled stone fruits – apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums – only get better with a nice quick kiss from the grill. The flavors of the fruit get stronger from the evaporation of water and also sweeter as the sugars begin to caramelize. YUM!
Quick Curry Rub
The curry rub is very quick and made from ingredients that you should have on-hand in your spice cabinet. Use about a 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of tenderloin. Once the rub goes on, it is good to go, however, the longer it cures, the more well seasoned the meat will be throughout. Only 5 minutes to get it ready in the morning and let it cure all day.
I have listed the brands that I use where it matters only so you know where I am tasting. Not all spice blends are created equal.
Super Easy Apricot Glaze
The curry spiced tenderloin is fantastic on it’s own. You could leave the glaze off if you wanted… but, why? Three ingredients and 2 minutes on the stove is all it takes. Brush the glaze on generously. As you are glazing, the sugars will caramelize on the sides you glazed; I glaze each side twice.
Oh, keep any extra glaze and those chunks of apricots in the preserves for serving.
Grilled Apricots and Stone Fruit
Not necessarily a part of the recipe, but if they’re around… grill ’em if you got ’em!
Cut the apricots in half and remove the pit. Place them in a shallow bowl and hit them with a glug of olive oil, the juice from half a lemon, and the tiniest pinch of salt; give them a toss to coat.
Once the pork comes off the grill, turn the heat to medium. If you are using charcoal, it should be about medium once the pork comes off the grill. Start the apricots pit-side down and grill for a couple minutes on each side. Done.
- For the rub:
- 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder - I use S&B Oriental Curry Powder
- ¾- to 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon chili powder - I use Gebhardt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- :
- 1½ to 2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed
- Olive oil for grilling
- :
- For apricot glaze:
- ½ cup apricot preserves
- 2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- :
- Grilled apricots, for serving (optional)
- Stir together the rub ingredients. Trim away the sliver skin from the tenderloin and place on a plate or small tray. Sprinkle over the rub making sure to cover the entire tenderloin(s); use all of the rub. You can grill the tenderloin at this point, but better if you let cure in covered in the refrigerator for a couple hours or as long as 1 to 2 days.
- Remove pork from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature while prepping the grill. Give it a drizzle of olive oil to prevent any sticking on the grill.
- Set up and preheat grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat. Brush and oil grate when ready to start cooking. Place pork on the hot oiled grill. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes on each side (four sides) for a total of 14 to 18 minutes or until internal temperature registers a minimum of 145˚F (medium rare) and up to 160˚F (medium).
- Brush liberally with the glaze on all sides allowing a few seconds on each side to caramelize the sugars on the grill.
- Remove tenderloin(s) from grill and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Meanwhile grill the apricots if you have them. Slice the tenderloin, across the grain at a slant transfer to a serving platter and pour over any remaining glaze. Add the grilled apricots or other stone fruits to the platter and serve.
Cheers and Happy Grilling!
-Jeff
I do love a good curry … cheers Chef Jeff 🙂
The apricot plays really well with the curry. Give it a try!