Put Another One On The Barbie

“Put another one on the barbie” is a familiar phrase that we have come to expect to be spoken by someone sporting a distinctively Aussie accent when referring to shrimp.  We are putting a little twist on that phrase.

As we’ve noted in the past, when you are faced with that sometimes dreaded question of “What’s for dinner?” we have another idea for you to try.  Instead of the proverbial shrimp being put “on the barbie” as the Aussies call their BBQs, we are putting a pork loin on the grill.  Pork often has got a bad rap as being a fatty, unhealthy kind of meat despite the National Pork Board’s efforts to educate the public on the benefits of “the other white meat”.  We’re not going to try and convince you of anything here or educate you about how great pork is, we simply want to give you a suggestion for a delicious and simple Summer meal.  Sometimes it seems like if we eat another piece of chicken we might grow feathers and start laying eggs.  Now don’t get me wrong, my familial roots are in the South and I love chicken, especially fried chicken.  But sometimes you just need an alternative and beef seems too heavy and not everyone will eat fish so when you’re feeling stuck about what to make that is good and also easy, give this a try.  We think you’ll like it as much as we do and unless we’re mistaken, sometime soon you’ll be “putting another one on the barbie”….pork loin that is:)

Grilled Pork Loin

4 lb pork loin roast
1 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 shallot
3-4 stems of fresh rosemary, leaves removed
4-5 stems of fresh oregano, leaves removed or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

An additional 10-12 stems of rosemary

Place olive oil, garlic cloves, roughly cut up shallot, leaves from rosemary and oregano and salt and pepper in a blender or food processor.  On medium speed, process until herbs, garlic and shallot are fully minced and incorporated in the oil.

Place pork loin in  a baking dish and pour half of the olive oil mixture over the meat.

Using your hands, be sure the whole pork loin is covered with the sauce.  Cover the meat and allow it to sit for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.  The longer it sits the more flavor it absorbs.

While the meat is marinading, prepare the coals on your barbeque.  When the coals are white hot and ready, place about 5-6 sprigs of rosemary that have been soaked in water for about 5 minutes, on top of the coals.  The fresh soaked rosemary acts in much the same way as cedar planks or wood chips do in imparting flavor to the meat.

Add remaining 5-6 springs of soaked rosemary directly on the grill and place the meat on top of that.  Depending on the thickness of the pork loin, cook the meat on the grill turning it every 15 minutes for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove meat when done and allow to sit for 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve sliced meat with the remaining olive oil garlic sauce and a green salad and some foccacia bread and voila!….dinner is served:)