Grilled Pork with Hot Mustard

August 2021. Memphis summer, 62 years old, and the heat wraps around Orange Mound like a wet blanket that nobody asked for but everybody wears because that is the deal you make when you live in the South. The smoker calls louder in summer — something about the heat amplifying the smoke, the way humidity amplifies everything in Memphis — and I answer, because answering is what pitmasters do.

Rosetta beside me through the week, steady as ever, the woman who runs this household with the precision of a hospital ward and the heart of a mother who has loved fiercely for 37 years of marriage.

I smoked a pork shoulder this week — the king, the classic, fourteen hours over hickory. The bark was dark and the smoke ring deep and the meat fell apart in my hands with the familiar magic of something that has been loved patiently. I served it on white bread with coleslaw and vinegar sauce, the way Uncle Clyde taught me, the way I teach everyone who stands next to my smoker, because the serving is the tradition and the tradition is the point.

The week ended on the porch with Rosetta, the evening settling over Orange Mound, the smoker cooling in the backyard. The fire was banked but not out — it's never out, just resting between cooks, holding the heat the way I hold the tradition: carefully, permanently, with the understanding that what Uncle Clyde gave me is not mine to keep but mine to pass, and the passing is the purpose.

That pork shoulder over hickory — fourteen hours, dark bark, deep smoke ring — is the king, and it will always be the king. But when Rosetta and I settled onto the porch that evening and the smoker was cooling down and the week felt complete, I got to thinking about the cuts that move a little faster, the ones you can fire up mid-week when the summer heat is already doing half the work for you. Grilled pork with hot mustard is that recipe: the same spirit as everything Uncle Clyde taught me, the same respect for the fire, just a shorter conversation between the cook and the grill. It’s what I reach for when I want the porch-evening feeling without the fourteen-hour commitment, and it has never once let me down.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
3 tablespoons dry mustard powder
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce (such as Crystal or Tabasco)
1 clove garlic, minced

Instructions

Make the hot mustard. In a small bowl, whisk together the dry mustard powder, apple cider vinegar, honey, soy sauce, hot sauce, and minced garlic until smooth. Let the mustard rest for at least 10 minutes to develop heat — it will sharpen as it sits.
Season the pork. Pat the pork tenderloin dry with paper towels. Rub all over with olive oil, then coat evenly with salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Preheat the grill. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high (about 425°F). Clean and lightly oil the grates.
Grill the tenderloin. Place the pork on the grill and cook, turning every 4–5 minutes, until all sides have good color and an instant-read thermometer inserted at the thickest point reads 145°F, about 18–22 minutes total. Do not rush it — let the grill do its work.
Rest the meat. Transfer the tenderloin to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Let it rest 5–7 minutes before slicing. This keeps the juices where they belong.
Slice and serve. Cut into 1/2-inch medallions and arrange on a platter. Serve the hot mustard on the side or spooned directly over the slices. Good white bread and a cold slaw alongside are never a wrong call.

Nutrition (per serving)

Grilled Pork with Hot Mustard — The Fire That Never Goes Out in Orange Mound