Bring Out Your Grills!

The past few days in Philly have felt like summer, muggy temperatures in the 80's. And it also happens to be Memorial Day Weekend, the time to respectfully remember those who died in military service. And like all American holidays it's also centralized around food, fine by me. It's time to bring out the grill if you haven't already. Hot dogs and hamburgers are the favorite, I know, but my favorite is America's "other white meat", pork. So tender and juicy, it's hard to mess it up. The other day, I grilled a pork loin and some vegetables. We've also been holding onto a bottle of homemade beet wine from our friend, and Chris's bandmate, Preston. I thought it would compliment our meal nicely.

For Perfectly Grilled Pork loin:

For the Pork loin, I marinated it in some Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce, always a winner. I fired up the gas grill and let it get to about 450°. I seared both sides of the pork, about 5 minutes on each side, then placed the pork over indirect heat and lowered the temperature to 400°. At this time close the grill and prepare the veggies.

For the Veggies:

I sliced two yellow squash in to quarter inch rounds, as well as some mixed radishes, an onion, and threw in some garlic bulbs. I also added a rosemary branch, and liberally doused it all with olive oil, salt and cracked pepper. I've never used the grill basket before so I was a little unsure how they were going to cook...

The grill basket turned out the be a superstar. I didn't lose anything down the grates! The all cooked safely inside the basket. I put the veggies on 15 minutes in over the flame, and then grilled everything another 15 with the pork. I tossed them only a few times to get them a little charred. This was also the first time grilling radishes, and they turned out to be a fantastic addition with the squash. After about a half hour I took the pork off and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing it up. While the meat was resting, I got out some crusty homemade bread, drizzled it with a basil infused olive oil and grilled it. A grilled feast!

Preston's wine was also delicious! I'd say it had a close flavor to a rosé, with a hint of beet in the aftertaste. We were jokingly calling it "Shrute's Choice". I'll have to learn how to make it, or at least make sure to get a steady supply for him. A lovely meal for a muggy evening.

So go grill something, and enjoy the three day weekend!