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Pork grillworthy for the Fourth

Rocky Mountain News

Published July 1, 2008 at 3 p.m.
Updated July 1, 2008 at 6:13 p.m.

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If you haven't served pork lately because you're afraid of overcooking or undercooking, you'll find these recipes from the National Pork Board to be grillworthy for the Fourth. For more recipes, check out theotherwhitemeat.com.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin With Balsamic Vinegar

Serves 4

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, sage or thyme

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

2 pork tenderloins

Salt and pepper to taste

* Combine oil, vinegar and garlic with rosemary in a self- sealing bag.

* Add pork tenderloins and marinate them for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

* Remove from marinade and discard remaining marinade.

* Season tenderloins with salt and pepper.

* Grill over medium-hot fire, turning occasionally, for 15 to 25 minutes, until meat thermometer inserted reads 155 to 160 degrees.

* Slice to serve.

Nutritional information per serving: 269 cal., 16 g fat (3 g sat.), 34 mg chol., 15 g carb., 11 g pro., 0 fiber, 36 mg sodium

Hot and Spicy Spareribs

Serves 3

1 3-pound rack pork spareribs

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 15-ounce can tomato sauce

2/3 cup cider vinegar

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

1/2 teaspoon pepper

* Melt butter in a large skillet over low heat; add onion and garlic and saute until tender.

* Add remaining ingredients, except ribs, and bring to a boil.

* Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

* Place ribs on grill over indirect heat; close grill hood.

* Grill for 11/2 hours and then baste with sauce every 10 minutes for 30 more minutes. Remove ribs from grill and serve, cutting into serving-size portions.

* If desired, serve any remaining sauce on the side, bringing it to a boil and boiling gently for 5 minutes.

Nutritional information per serving: 1,174 cal., 73 g fat (28 g sat.), 276 mg chol., 68 g carb., 65 g pro., 5 g fiber, 1,269 mg sodium

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Country-Style Spareribs

Serves 6

6 large country spareribs (about 41/2 pounds)

3/4 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup coarse-grain mustard

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons Tabasco

2 teaspoons soy sauce

Salt, coarse-ground black pepper

* Mix maple syrup, mustard, brown sugar, hot sauce and soy sauce. Set glaze aside.

* Create indirect fire with foil drip pan half-filled with water.

* Lay ribs on rack over drip pan and brush with glaze. Cover . Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, turning and basting every 15 minutes.

* Move ribs to hot side of grill.

* Brush with glaze, cover and grill for 5 minutes.

* Repeat, turning and basting, until ribs are tender and brown (about 20 minutes).

* Season and serve.

Nutritional information per serving: 560 cal., 21 g fat (7 g sat), 129 mg chol., 46 g carb., 41 g pro., 4 g fiber, 705 mg sodium

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Mexican Mole Pork Chops With Mango Salsa

Serves 4

4 bone-in, 11/2-inch thick pork chops

Dry rub:

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons onion powder

11/2 teaspoons cocoa

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground paprika

Dash cinnamon and dash allspice

Mango salsa (see recipe)

* Combine dry-rub ingredients. Rub on chops. Set aside 30 minutes.

* Preheat grill to 400 to 450 degrees. Spray light coat of cooking spray on chops. Place on grill. Cover; cook 7 minutes per side (to 160 degrees internally). Let rest for 5 minutes.

* Mango salsa: Combine 1 large peeled, cubed mango, juice of a lime, 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion, 1 teaspoon cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Nutritional information per serving: 248 cal., 9 g fat (2 g sat.), 80 mg chol., 15 g carb., 31 g pro., 1 g fiber, 213 mg sodium

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North Carolina-Style Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Serves 18

1 pork butt, Boston butt or untrimmed end-cut pork shoulder roast, about 7 to 9 pounds

5 to 7 cups hickory wood chips, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Kosher salt and ground pepper

18 plain white hamburger buns

For Lexington-Style Vinegar BBQ Sauce:

2 cups cider vinegar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon ground white pepper

1/2 to 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup ketchup

For North Carolina Cole Slaw:

Lexington-Style Vinegar BBQ Sauce, to taste

1 large head green cabbage, chopped

* Prepare either a charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking.

* Remove pork from wrapper. Do not trim excess fat from meat; this fat will naturally baste the meat and keep it moist.

* Brush pork with a thin coating of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside on a clean tray until ready to cook.

* Before placing the meat on the grill, add soaked wood chips. Place chips directly on white-gray ash briquettes or in the smoking box of your gas grill. If using a charcoal grill, you'll need to add charcoal every hour to maintain the heat.

* Place pork in the center of the cooking grate, fat side up.

* Cook slowly for 4 to 5 hours at 325 to 350 degrees or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into middle of the pork registers 190 to 200 degrees.

* The meat should be falling apart. If there's a bone in the meat, it should come out smooth and clean with no meat clinging to it. There's no need to turn the meat at all during entire cooking time.

* Let meat rest for 20 minutes or until cool enough to handle.

* Using a sturdy fork and a knife, pull meat from the skin, bones and fat. Set aside any crispy bits (fat) that have been completely rendered and look almost burned.

* Working quickly, shred the chunks of meat with two forks by crossing the forks and "pulling" the meat into small pieces from the roast.

* Chop the reserved crispy bits and mix into the pulled pork.

* While the meat is still warm, mix with enough Lexington- Style Vinegar Barbecue Sauce (about 3/4 cup), to moisten and season the meat.

* Serve on a bun and top with North Carolina Coleslaw. Serve additional sauce on the side, if desired.

* To prepare Lexington-Style Vinegar Barbecue Sauce: Mix all ingredients together and let sit at least 10 minutes or almost indefinitely in the refrigerator.

* Note: The longer the barbecue sauce sits, the hotter it gets. Start with 1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes and add more to taste.

* To prepare North Carolina Coleslaw: Mix sauce (to taste) with cabbage until well-mixed and not quite wet. Refrigerate. Let rest 2 hours or overnight.

Nutritional information per serving: 386 cal., 18 g fat (6 g sat.), 102 mg chol., 22 g carb., 33 g pro., 1 g fiber, 435 mg sodium

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BBQ Baby Back Ribs With Spicy Girls' Dry Rub and Mop Sauce

Serves 6 to 8

3 racks pork baby-back ribs

3 cups hickory or apple wood chips For Spicy Girls' Dry Rub:

1/4 cup kosher salt

2 tablespoons coarse-ground pepper

1 tablespoon ground coriander

3 tablespoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons dried thyme

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

Hickory Barbecue Mop Sauce (see recipe below)

* Combine dry rub ingredients. Place ribs flat in a nonreactive roasting pan. Sprinkle 3/4 cup rub over both sides of racks; rub in lightly. Set aside. Soak wood chips in cold water to cover 30 minutes.

* Use indirect cooking: Light medium fire for charcoal grill or preheat one side of a gas grill on medium.

* Drain chips; sprinkle half over the coals or in grill's smoker box. Place disposable foil pan under grate.

Brush grill grate with vegetable oil.

* Place ribs, meaty-side down, on the side of grill without hot coals. Cover grill and smoke-cook ribs for 45 minutes. Turn ribs; add rest of wood chips. Cover; grill 45 minutes.

* Make Barbecue Mop Sauce: Combine 2 cups store-bought hickory barbecue sauce, 1 tablespoon liquid smoke, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 2 tablespoons dark molasses in bowl. Stir well.

* After 11/2 hours, brush ribs with mop sauce. Carefully slide ribs onto grate directly over hot coals. Grill, uncovered, 5 minutes. Turn the ribs over, baste again; grill 5 minutes. Cut between rib bones and serve.

Nutritional information per serving: 830 cal., 65 g fat (23 g sat.), 205 mg chol., 17 g carb., 43 g pro., 3 g fiber, 1,120 mg sodium

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Beer-Grilled Chops

Serves 4

4 bone-in pork chops, about 3/4- inch thick

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons grated ginger

1 cup beer

* Place chops in a self-sealing plastic bag; add remaining ingredients and seal bag.

* Gently massage bag to evenly distribute marinade ingredients.

* Refrigerate 4 to 24 hours.

* Prepare medium-hot coals in kettle-style grill.

* Remove chops from marinade and discard marinade; place on grill directly over coals, cover grill. Grill for 10 minutes, turning once.

Nutritional information per serving: 134 cal., 5 g fat (1 g sat), 57 mg chol., 3 g carb., 23 g pro., 0 fiber, 305 mg sodium

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