After I’ve gone through a magazine, there are always tabs left; paper reminders of recipes that I didn’t have time to get to. They hang around in the recesses of my mind, whispering ‘hello’ once in a while. It’s because of this that I’ve created Turn Back Time Tuesday. It’s a chance to go pull out an old magazine and make one of those recipes that doesn’t deserve to be forgotten. Care to join me?
The year was 1986. I was an innocent kid who had just recently moved into an apartment and was new to being on my own. Right next door lived a woman who hit the other end of the spectrum pretty squarely.
I learned a lot from Sharon in the year or two that she lived next to me.
I learned that if I ever rent an apartment again, I’ll make sure the walls are thicker. And I’m not thinking about the fact that we were able to to open our medicine cabinets and talk to each other through the thin sheet of metal.
I learned how to yard sale. Every Saturday I would head to her place with the newspaper. We’d sit with a cup of coffee; me with the paper, she with a street map. We’d plot where the yard sales were and what route to use so we’d hit the best ones.
I learned regret. Not the deep life-choice kind, but the niggling kind that surfaces every few years and raspberries you.
I learned regret while at a yard sale with Sharon. The folks holding the sale were moving so it was huge and they were getting rid of everything.
Included was a bedroom set with a dresser, two bedside tables, a wardrobe and a queen sized bed with headboard and footboard. The headboard had a beautiful starburst pattern of inlaid wood. It was a stunning set. The woman was asking $100 for all of it. One hundred dollars.
I didn’t have that much at the time so I didn’t buy it. That’s my regret. All these years later, I still think about that bedroom set and how beautiful it was. I see the room in my mind and remember how much I loved the headboard. You know what I mean? Do you any of those niggling little regrets?
Most times after I close a magazine at the end of the month I have a little niggle of regret go through me. There are always recipes I haven’t had a chance to get to but really wanted to make. The June 2012 Food Network Magazine had many of those because it was so heavy on grilling. Like this dish.
I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. So, I’m going to do something about that.
The Process
The process for making this is the same as if you were doing a typical Carolina pig pickin’ except you don’t cook this already tender piece of meat for eight hours. Put together a rub; check. Put it on the pork and tightly wrap the pork; check. Let it sit in the refrigerator for several hours; check. Grill it; check.
There’s even a mopping sauce, though it’s served with the pork instead of being put on during cooking.
And, what I really love, the corn gets grilled on the same hot coals that the pork sat over. I’m always walking away from my grill wondering what else I can make because the embers are usually still putting off a good amount of heat. Five minutes of corn grilling; check.
The Verdict
I should have timed how long it took us to inhale this meal. It was absolutely delicious, every bit of it. All three of us raved about how good the pork was, even Dudette (though she didn’t have the sauce over hers). The corn is a perfect touch; slightly smoky, a little crunchy and so very good.
This may serve four, but there were no leftovers after the three of us got up from the table.
If you have rub left, definitely use it for other meals. I sprinkled some on pork chops a few nights later and they were very tasty.
What I’d Do Different Next Time
Nothing.
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 2 small pork tenderloins (about 1½ pounds total)
- 4 ears corn, husked
- ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- Make the pork: Combine the paprika, 2 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, the brown sugar, cumin, mustard powder, onion powder and garlic powder in a bowl. Rub the olive oil all over the pork, then coat with the spice rub. Wrap each tenderloin tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate 3 to 6 hours.
- Make the sauce: Combine the vinegar, ½ cup water, the brown sugar, ketchup, red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves; remove from the heat.
- Remove the pork from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before grilling. Preheat a grill to medium high. Cook the pork, turning occasionally, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 140 degrees F to 145 degrees F, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, brush the corn with olive oil; grill, turning, until marked, about 5 minutes. Slice the pork and drizzle with the sauce. Serve with the corn.
Subscribe to Food Network Magazine.
Even with my best girdle on, I can't fit much more than my big toe in this tiny space, so please hit the ''read more' link if you'd like to get the skinny on me and the whole Taking On Magazines thing. 
Is the sauce supposed to be very thin? I wad expecting it to thicken up once it cooled off.