2 pork tenderloins – 3 meals

Pork tenderloin is the best. It is so versatile, plus it cooks quickly and goes a long way.

Pork tenderloin comes two to a package. I used the two tenderloins to make three separate meals. Each meal serves four, plus an extra seconds.

Meal #1 is simple grilled pork, seasoned simply with salt and pepper. About 3/4 of one of the tenderloins was used for this. Meal #2 used half of the other tenderloin to make a pizza.

The salt and pepper grilled pork and the pizza recipes are below. The rest of the tenderloin was used for meal #3, which I will share with you tomorrow. If you are a lover of pork, you could also try some other pork dishes as well. There is a delicious recipe for pork loin roast that you might be interested in trying. Some of these are available on the internet.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

2 pork tenderloin, about 2 pounds total
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crumbled goat or blue cheese, optional

Pat tenderloins dry with paper towels. Brush lightly with oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat grill to high. Put the pork on the hot grates. Close the lid and grill for 6 minutes. Turn the pork over, close the lid, and grill for another 6 minutes.

Keeping the lid closed, turn off the heat and continue to cook the pork for another 4 minutes. Open lid and insert an instant-read thermometer into the middle of the thickest end of the tenderloin. The temperature needs to be between 145 to 150 degrees. If not, close the lid and let the pork continue to roast in the residual grill heat until the correct temperature is reached.

Remove the pork from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Cut across the grain into 1/2-inch slices and serve as is or sprinkled with crumbled goat or blue cheese.

BBQ Pork Pizza

1 purchased pizza dough (I love the whole-wheat dough from Trader Joe’s)
2 tablespoons corn meal, divided
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese, patted dry
3/4 cup purchased BBQ sauce
14 to 16 thin slices of leftover pork tenderloin
1/2 cup pickled red onions (or raw red onion slices)
Red pepper flakes, to taste

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Roll or stretch the pizza dough to the size and shape desired. Sprinkle a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of the corn meal.

Thinly slice the mozzarella ball and place the slices on paper towels to dry. Place another towel on top and press lightly to absorb some of the moisture. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the pizza.

Place the pizza dough on the baking sheet and lightly press it into the cornmeal. Brush the top side of the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of cornmeal. Spoon the BBQ on the top of the dough and use the back of the spoon to spread evenly. Next, top with the pork slices.

Then evenly distribute the red onion and mozzarella cheese slices.

Sprinkle with the red pepper flakes.

Bake pizza for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven until the crust is browned and the cheese is melted.

Slice and serve.