Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Peach and Tomato compote

I've been making this one for the past few weeks. It is a summer menu staple. I was walking through the farmers market, admiring the summer fruits and remembered a sweet little partnership I read about a few years ago in some cooking magazine: peaches and tomatoes.
I was feeling southern, so I threw some oinker in the mix. I love pork. Why, you ask?

1. it's not chicken

2. it's easy to dress up

3. it's reasonably priced, especially when you are feeding a big group

4. It sure is tasty!

This is how I make it:

I recommending splurging and paying the extra few cents a pound for the tenderloin vs. the whole loin, it's worth it.

BRINE YOUR SWINE- pretty essential. you can make a quick brine with whatever you like. I get a stock pot 3/4 full of water, throw in about a cup of salt and cup of sugar, some peppercorns, bay leaf, maybe a half cup cider vinegar and some soy sauce- whatever you want. I don't think the meat really retains that much flavor from the add-ons in the brine (unless it has like a strong portion of soy sauce, or ginger, etc...). The salty, sugary, water is what penetrates and flavors the meat, enabling it to retain its moisture and tenderness. Let it soak half a day or up to 5 or 6 days.

RUB YOUR PIGGY DOWN- but before you do this, make sure you trim the tenderloin of all the silver skin. If you don't know what this is, it is the silvery looking tendon-like stuff on the surface of the meat that is really tight up next to it. If you don't cut this off, you may as well not brine it either, because it is going to be tough. Smash up some garlic and ginger in a mortar and pestle (I grate the ginger in on a micro-plane first, then smash it with the garlic. Grind it into a nice paste. Crack some pepper over the pork, then rub it down with some olive oil, a curry spice mixture of your choice, and the garlic-ginger paste. Let it sit at room temp for a little bit and soak it all in.

GRILL IT UP- the tenderloin has 4 sides. Grill it (if using gas, about med-hi, 400+ degrees) for about 5 minutes on each side. The internal temp should only be between 130-145 degrees. Take it off at 130 and let it rest for 5 minutes. There should be a bit of give when you push on it with your finger.

p.s. trichinosis is a thing of the past, relax.

THE COMPOTE-Sautee some red onion, throw in equal parts diced peaches and diced tomatoes, grate in a little ginger, season with salt and pepper. Cook it down until it's not too awful watery. Stir in a handful of chopped cilantro at the end.

That's it!!