Smoked Pork Tenderloin

I found this in the Dallas Morning News Neighborhood Shopping Guide and tried it tonight. It turned out AMAZING! It's meant to be cooked in a smoker or grill - which we don't have, so I just roasted it in the oven and it still turned out great! Just so you know, the recipe looks a little complicated, but it's really not. It just takes a little planning ahead during the day. The recipe recommends serving it with grits, so I included the recipe even though I didn't make them since I'm not a big fan of them. Enjoy!

• 2 large pork-tenderloins (I halved the whole recipe for our small family)
• 3/4 cup Jack-Daniel's whiskey (I cannot cook with alcohol, I've tried, and it always turns out disgusting, that and I feel weird buying it in the first place. So in place of the whiskey I did 1/4 BBQ sauce mixed with 1/2 cup water.)
• 1 1/2 cups apple juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 cloves garlic - crushed

• 1 package Knorr Au Jus Gravy Mix
• 3 tablespoons raspberry-chipotle sauce
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions: Combine Jack Daniel's (or BBQ/water mixture), apple juice, olive oil, soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic and marinate the pork 6-8 hours (I only marinated it for 3 hours and it turned out great!).

Like I said, this recipe is meant for a smoker or grill, but we don't have one so I simply roasted the meat on a broiler pan in the oven at 325 degrees for about an hour and 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees basting it every once and awhile with the marinade. (If you're only doing one roast, it will be done in about an hour.) If you're using a grill allow it to cook 12-15 minutes on medium-high heat or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Remove the meat from whichever heating device you use and wrap it in foil and allow to stand for 5-10 minutes while you make the sauce.

Sauce: Prepare the au jus according to package directions, and then add the raspberry-chipotle sauce. Stir until thickened; then strain to remove raspberry seeds. Return to the same saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk in butter to finish the sauce.

To serve, unwrap the pork carefully and pour any accumulated juices into the sauce. Slice the pork and serve with the sauce, cheese-and-corn grits and seared spinach.

Makes 8 servings

To make the grits: Bring 3 cups of water and 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons grits to a boil, stirring constantly once they begin to thicken. Add 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels and 3/4 cup Velveeta shreds (found in the cheese section). Stir over low heat just long enough to cook the corn. Cover and set aside until ready to serve. Grist should stay soft at room temperature for 1-2 hours. Reheat them in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes if needed. Makes 4 servings.

Notes: Leftover pork makes a great little sandwich on ciabatta bread or a buttermilk biscuit. Warm the sliced pork in a little BBQ sauce, and place on a warm bun with some cole slaw for a tasty sandwich. Or, make a Southern soft taco: Put pork, BBQ sauce and cole slaw in a warm flour tortilla.