Smoked Boneless Pork Loins with Blackberry Sage Sauce

By Foodiewife

This recipe is adapted from the cookbook "Weber's New American Barbeque". The original recipes uses pork tenderloins and I substituted Olallieberies (since we grown them in our own backyard)instead of Blackberries (which would be equally good). The rub is simple to make, and seasoned the pork perfectly. The wood chips gave the pork a beautiful smoky flavor. I love the sauce (and we grow our own sage herbs, too). I'll make this again, and will buy pork tenderloins as a variation. Loved this recipe!

Ingredients

• For the sauce:
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped shallots
• 12 oz. (2 1/2 cups) blackberries, divided (frozen is fine)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 Tbsp. ketchup
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp. mined fresh sage leaves
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
• For the rub:
• 2 tsp. packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. mustard powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp granulated onion
• 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pork tenderloins, each about 1-1/4 pounds, trimmed of excess fat and silver skin
• NOTE: I used two 2-in thick cut boneless pork loins
• 2 tsp canola (I used olive) oil
• 1 small handful of pecan or apple wood chips

Details

Preparation time 45mins
Cooking time 75mins

Preparation

Step 1

Soak the chips in water for at least 30 minutes.

Make the sauce:
In a small saucepan, over medium heat on the stove, melt the butter.

Add the shallot and cook until lightly browned (about 2 minutes)stirring often.

Add 2 cups of the berries, the honey, ketchup, vinegar, sage, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook the sauce at a steady simmer until the juices have thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Stir often and mash some of the berries to release their juice. Remove from the heat.

Puree the sauce in a blender (in batches) with a small opening in the lid to let the steam escape, and return to the saucepan*. You should have about 1 cup of sauce.
*I decided to push the puree through a fine sieve to remove the seeds.

Stir in the remaining 2/3 cup of berries. Let the sauce cool until tepid and slightly thickened.

For the pork:
Combine the rub ingredients, mashing well with a fork to mix thoroughly. Brush the pork loin (or tenderloins) with the oil and season evenly with the rub. Allow the pork to stand at room temperature for 15-30 minutes before grilling.

Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (350-450F).

Drain and add the wood chips to the charcoal or to the smoker box of a gas grill, following manufacturer's instructions, and close the lid.

When smoke appears, grill the pork over direct medium heat, with the lid closed, until the outsides are evenly seared and the internal temperature reaches 145F, 15-20 minutes, turning every five minutes. Remove from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes (the internal temperature will rise 5-10 more degrees during this time.

If using pork tenderloins, cut them crosswise into 1/2 inch slices.

Serve warm with the sauce.

TASTING NOTES: Our pork was cooked so that there wasn't any pink (which is how I prefer it, but my husband doesn't). I was so pleased with how juicy the pork was! Excellent recipe!