Smoky Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Fourth of July was Wednesday and the ward had a block party Tuesday evening, because in Utah we celebrate both the Fourth and Pioneer Day on July 24th with equal enthusiasm and potato salad, and the extended celebration is not seen as excessive but as appropriately thorough. I made the potato salad Tuesday afternoon: eight pounds of red potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, celery, red onion, yellow mustard because Brandon's nostalgia is a valid culinary argument, and enough mayonnaise to justify the name. Cost for a bowl that served forty people: twelve dollars. I wrote it down because people always want to know how you feed a crowd for nothing, and the answer is always: planning and a five-pound bag of potatoes.

On the Fourth we drove to my parents' yard in Orem to watch the city fireworks, which are, by Tyler's annual testimony, the best municipal fireworks in Utah County. Dad set up folding chairs. Denise brought out scratch lemonade, because Denise Cooper does not do powdered lemonade and this is a line she will not cross, and we all sat in the cooling evening and waited for dark.

The kids were in varying states of fireworks tolerance. Ethan assessed them technically. Olivia made sounds of genuine delight at each one. Mason noted which ones were better than the previous ones, which is exactly how I assess most things. Lily sat in my lap for the loud ones, not because she was scared, she said, but because my lap was comfortable, and I will not argue with that reasoning. Noah fell asleep before the finale in my father's arms, and Gary carried him to the car with the ease of a man who has been carrying sleeping children for forty years and knows exactly how to distribute the weight.

I sat next to my father for a while after the kids scattered and watched the last fireworks fade. He smelled like soap and Old Spice and the garage, which is the smell of my childhood. His yard was full of people he loves. He seemed content. So was I.

Two weeks to the community center workshop. The refrigerator is full. The freezer has eighteen meals. Summer is exactly what summer should be.

The potato salad is always the anchor — twelve dollars, forty people, done — but every anchor needs something to anchor to, and at a real cookout that means something coming off the grill that smells like summer and smoke and doesn’t require you to stand over it sweating through your apron. Pork tenderloin is the answer I keep coming back to: it takes a rub beautifully, cooks fast, slices clean, and looks like you tried harder than you did. After a Tuesday of peeling eight pounds of red potatoes, that last part matters more than I’ll admit.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min (plus 1 hr marinating) | Servings: 6–8

Ingredients

2 pork tenderloins (about 1 lb each), silver skin trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, adjust to taste)

Instructions

Make the rub. In a small bowl, stir together the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, brown sugar, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne (if using) until combined.
Prep the pork. Pat the tenderloins dry with paper towels. Rub each one all over with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then coat evenly with the spice mixture, pressing it gently into the surface.
Marinate. Place the seasoned tenderloins on a plate, cover loosely, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours. Pull them out 20 minutes before grilling so they come closer to room temperature.
Preheat the grill. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high (about 400°F). Clean and oil the grates well.
Grill. Place tenderloins on the grill and cook, turning every 4–5 minutes, until deeply browned on all sides and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 145°F, about 20–25 minutes total.
Rest and slice. Transfer tenderloins to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and rest for 5–7 minutes. Slice crosswise into 1/2-inch medallions and arrange on a platter. Serve alongside potato salad and cold lemonade and call it a summer.

Nutrition (per serving)

Smoky Grilled Pork Tenderloin — The Main That Earns Its Place Next to the Potato Salad