By Mike Thayer
A Beautiful Pork Loin
The tang of Dijon mustard, the sweetness of brown sugar, the smokiness of bacon, juicy-tender pork and of course, the kiss of a bourbon glaze.... It's another dose of YUM! And yes, you guessed it, the Triple 'B', is Brown sugar, Bacon and Bourbon.... What's NOT to like, right? What's also likeable about this crowd pleaser, are 1., you'll come off like a real grill master and 2., a pork loin is a cheap cut of meat that can easily be done up in gourmet fashion. The pork loin pictured right is just over four pounds and cost me just $7.94. Now THAT is Bachelor on the Cheap friendly!
Ingredients for the pork loin:
Center cut pork loin, about 3-4 pounds
3 Tablespoons of your favorite bourbon
2-1/2 Tablespoons of Cookies Flavor Enhancer, or your favorite rub
3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
Four slices of thick cut bacon
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Pork Loin Butterflied
Ingredients for the bourbon glaze:
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 Tablepoons light brown sugar
3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 Tablespoons of your favorite bourbon
A dash of Cayenne pepper
The juice from one lime
Directions: Butterfly the pork loin by cutting it almost in half lengthwise through one side, stopping about one inch short of cutting completely through. Open up the roast like a book. Sprinkle the inside of the loin with one tablespoon of the bourbon, perhaps take a shot yourself and let that soak in for about five minutes. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the Cookies Flavor Enhancer or your favorite rub over the inside of the loin.
Prepped and ready for the grill
Using a spatula, spread on the Dijon mustard, then sprinkle on the brown sugar. Sprinkle the remaining bourbon over the brown sugar. Fold the loin back together and sprinkle the remaining rub on the outside of that beautiful pork, set aside on the work surface. Cut four 12-inch pieces of butcher's twine and position the strings roughly two inches apart and parallel to each other, just wide enough to accommodate the thick cut bacon. Place the bacon across the strings, perpendicular to and in the center of them. Set the roast on top of the bacon so the bacon is on the opposite side of the fat cap. Tie the strings together holding the bacon to the loin, hit the bacon with the fresh ground black pepper. Grill the Triple 'B' over indirect heat for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, or until an instant read thermometer reads 160 degrees. While the pork is starting to get happy on the grill, make the glaze by combing all those ingredients in a saucepan until it comes to boil, about 4 to 6 minutes, set aside. Start basting the loin after the
Grill over indirect heat
30 minute mark and every 15 minutes until done. Pull the pork from the grill and rest it for five minutes, then remove the strings. Slice the roast for serving and drizzle with the remaining glaze and another squeeze of lime juice. Excellent served with a rice pilaf. Enjoy the Triple 'B'!
$pend Wisely My Friends...