Grilled Pork Loin with Blackberry Jalapeño Sauce

Grilled pork loin, when it is done medium rare on the inside and slightly charred on the outside- oh my god.

What makes this recipe sparkle is the blackberry jalapeño sauce. The mix of sweetness and heat is perfect and goes with either one of Oregon's powerhouse Pinot Noirs or Sineann's Old Vine Zinfandels.

Oregon is home to some of the best berries in the world. Fresh strawberries and raspberries in the early summer; blackberries and blueberries at the end of the summer.

Here's what you need:

	2 to 4 petite pork tenderloins
	3/4 cup coarse kosher salt
	3/4 cup sugar
	1 cup boiling water
	1 gallon cold water
	1 tablespoon pepper
	2 tablespoons olive oil

Blackberry Jalapeño Sauce (recipe below)

Here's what you do:

Trim excess fat and the silverskin from the pork tenderloins; set aside while making brine.

A heavy-duty plastic tube, stainless-steel bowl, or resealable plastic bag can work as a brining container, as long as the pork is fully submerged. Weight with a plate, if necessary, to keep the meat fully covered by the brine. To determine how much brine you'll need, place the meat to be brined in your chosen container. Add water to cover. Remove the meat and measure the water.

Dissolve salt and sugar in the boiling water. Add it to the cold water. Dissolve salt and sugar in the boiling water. Add it to the cold water; add pepper and stir to combine. Place pork roasts in the water; cover and refrigerate 6 to 12 hours.

To assemble, remove the pork from the brine. Rinse pork twice after removing it from the brine solution; discard brine. If you are not ready to cook at the end of the brining time, refrigerate until ready to use. Rub olive oil over the entire roast before grilling.

Preheat barbecue grill. Place pork roasts onto hot grill; close the lid and grill for 7 minutes. Turn the pork over, close the lid, and grill for another 6 minutes. Turn off the heat (keep the lid closed) and continue to cook the pork for another 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, insert an instant-read meat thermometer into thickest part of the roast, temperature should read 145° to 150°F (if not, close the lid and let the pork continue to roast). Once brined, the pork cooks faster so be careful and use a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat. The meat will remain pink from the brine.

Remove from grill and transfer onto a cutting board; let pork roasts stand 15 minutes before carving (meat temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees after it is removed from the oven).

To serve, spoon or drizzle Blackberry sauce onto plate. Cut across the grain into ½-inch medallions or slices and layer them like Dominos on the plate on top of the blackberry sauce. If you want, sprinkle chopped parsley over dish to add some extra color and style to the meal.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Blackberry Jalapeño Sauce

Add wine to drippings in baking pan and heat over medium-high heat, scraping loose browned bits on the bottom of the baking pan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently until sauce is reduced to the consistency of heavy cream. (If it is reduced too much, use more wine to make sauce the desired consistency.) Remove from heat and drop in the finely minced hot pepper. Just before serving, whisk in blackberry jam and butter until blended.

Inspiration: Bonnie Lausmann & What's Cooking America

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