This recipe was inspired by the need for speed. I’ve been circling around pulled pork recipes for some time, looking for a flavor that could be melded to the rich and succulent taste of a good barbecue. After more than a few failed attempts (I started on this in June), I stumbled on to a recipe that used ginger and molasses as the primary ingredients in the sauce. The problem was that by the time a nice pork shoulder was cooked to shredded perfection, the ginger and molasses flavors had dissipated so that they couldn’t be tasted. But the ginger molasses sauce was really delicious, so I didn’t want to give up on it. 
I decided to make the barbecue with pork tenderloin, a more expensive cut, but already tender and needing much less time to cook. I cooked it at low heat for two hours and it was soft and tender and fell apart easily with just a fork to shred it. That’s what I was looking for! People may shake their heads at using this cut of meat for a simple barbecue, but it works with the more delicate sauce. It fits into my philosophy about unhealthy food: if you’re going to eat something classic like barbecue or cheeseburgers, make them the best quality possible and enjoy the hell out of it. It might be awhile before you get it again.
The pulled pork needed a biscuit whose flavor wouldn’t fight with the sauce, so I made a soft cornmeal biscuits. They provided a clean base for the delicate freshness of the ginger, without overwhelming it.
Serves: 6
Prep time: 30 minutes of preparation, 2 hours cooking time
For the pork:
Ingredients
- 2-pound pork tenderloin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup brandy
- ½ cup chicken or pork stock
- 1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
For the barbecue sauce:
Ingredients
- 3 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil
- ½ small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- ¾ cup cider vinegar
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup molasses
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon cayenne (but add more if you like it spicy)
Directions
- Saute onions and garlic in a heavy saucepan for 2 minutes.
- Add ginger and the rest of the barbecue sauce ingredients. Let is simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally until thickened.
For the pork:
Directions
- Place sliced onion and garlic at the bottom of a baking pan big enough to accommodate the pork loin.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper on the meat and place it in the pan, on top of the onions and garlic.
- Pour brandy and broth over the loin. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
- Uncover and add half of the barbecue sauce to the loin. Cover and continue cooking at 300 degrees for 2 hours, or until pork is tender enough to be shredded easily.
- Shred pork and mix in pan drippings and remaining barbecue sauce.
Serves: 6 biscuits
Prep time: 30 minutes, including baking time
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups of flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¾ cup cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/3 cup butter
- 2/3 cup milk
Directions
- Mix flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder together.
Cut butter into small pieces and add to dry ingredients.
- Using fingers, combine butter and dry ingredients into a dough.
- Roll out and cut with biscuit cutter.
Bake on silpat-covered baking sheet for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Serve immediately.
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