Tag: Style

The Best BBQ Pork Tenderloin – Memphis Style by Gordon Ramsay

BBQ pork tenderloin is outstanding and is the best grill pork tenderloin—period. Moist, tender, and the most wonderful sweet-spicy taste of Memphis BBQ. This will become your top recipe for company grilling.

image of slices of pork tenderloin with sauce on white plate

Jump to:

Introduction and My Rating

This is the most common recipe people will claim as their all-time favorite from my site. It had a special spot on my site for years as “My One Must Try Recipe.” And I called it the best meal I had ever grilled at the time and it probably still is. It really is that good.

I’m claiming a dream sequence for this one. I only had a few hours of sleep the night before; I lay down for a few minutes with dinner on my mind. I had a pork tenderloin in the refrigerator for dinner but no plans. I should do another one for my grilled pork tenderloin series, but I had done no research.

So, what to do with that tenderloin? I really would like more of my Memphis BBQ sauce, but on what? Just grill the thing and dump sauce on it?

But out of my drowsiness came the memory of wanting to try dry rub Memphis ribs sometime. I have seen them over and over on the various cooking show. Well, my half-awake self-decided to use the rib rub on the tenderloin. I obviously have my best ideas when I’m not really with it.

My Rating

My rating system. Great 5 out of 5

At the time of the original, I rated it 9.7, which was the highest ever at that time—an absolute top-rated recipe.

🐖Pork Tenderloin

Start with well-trimmed pork tenderloin. You need to get th,e silverskin and any other membranes off so the brine and the dry rub can do their thing.

The tenderloin refers to the psoas muscle along the lower back. It is chicken tenders in the chicken or beef tenderloin (filet mignon) in cattle. The psoas is generally most tender cut since it is not used for movement. location of pork tenderloin on a chart of a pig

Please be sure you have a pork tenderloin and not a pork loin.

🧂The Brine

Brine for a few hours to make that already moist and tender meat cut with a fork. I’m suggesting a very simple brine of salt and some brown sugar. We will pick up most of the flavors in the rub.

The brine is optional but will increase the tenderness some and prevent drying on the grill. If you use the brine, make the rub without the salt.

🥣The Rub

Memphis BBQ is sweet and spicy. Very similar to Kansas City or St. Louis BBQ. But my favorite is Memphis.

I like to add the dry rub for a few hours and allow it to penetrate, and flavor the meat. Then I suggest adding a bit more just before cooking.

You can vary the rub for your taste if you want, but I highly recommend the rub as written. Also, I generally make up 2-3 times as much as I need for later use. It will last for up to 6 months sealed airtight and preferably in a dark place.

There is a range for the cayenne pepper. I suggest most people will prefer the lower end of the range. Skip if you want, but Memphis BBQ usually has a touch of mild heat in all that great spice.

♨️The Grill

Almost any gas grill will do. We want a grill surface temperature of 450° to a maximum of 500°. For most grills, that is a little over half power.

For help on grill surface temperature, please see my A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill.

Let the tenderloin rest at room temp for 30 minutes before grilling. This allows you to get to the correct internal temperature easier without overcooking the spicy crust.

Charcoal should be fine. Just don’t crank up the heat all the way and watch the temperature.

Of course, preheat, clean and brush with vegetable oil to prevent sticking due to the sugar in the rub.

🖊️ Tips

Pork tenderloin is not round, flat, nor even square — it is a triangle, so there are three sides. Whether cooking on a grill or in a pan, cook three sides and don’t force it into a shape that is not natural.

There are some things you can skip in this technique, but each of them contributes to the outstanding final results. You will decrease results a tiny bit with each omission. The possible omissions are the brine, the rub waiting time, and the rest at room temperature before grilling.

How to Grill a Pork Tenderloin on a Gas Grill

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches – Memphis Style

Grilled Memphis Boneless Pork Ribs

How to Grill Baby Back Ribs on a Gas Grill

Rubs and Sauces

Memphis Barbecue Sauce – A Wonderful Thing

Marlowe’s Memphis Dry Rub

Marlowe’s Black Magic Seasoning

🖼️Photo Instructions

brine ingredients of brown sugar and salt

Start with a simple brine. 4 cups cold water, 4 tablespoons table salt, 3 tablespoons brown sugar. Mix well in a one-gallon food storage bag.

trimmed pork tenderloin on black board

Trim pork tenderloin of any silver skin, lose fat and membranes.

adding the pork tenderloin to the bag with brine

Add the tenderloin to the brine and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours.

multiple spices as ingredients for the rub

Mix the Memphis dry rub: 2 tablespoons paprika, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt – only add if not brining.

rinsing the tenderloin under running water

When the tenderloin is done brining, rinse under running water and pat dry with a paper towel. This will remove the brine salt from the surface.

adding rub to the tenderloin with a spoon

Place on a piece of plastic wrap about 6 inches longer than the tenderloin. Rub all sides of the tenderloin well with the rub reserving about 1/4 of the rub for later.

tenderloin with rub wrapped tightly in plastic wrap

Roll the tenderloin tightly in the plastic wrap, seal the ends and refrigerate for 1 -2 hours. Longer is OK.

adding some more rub to tenderloin on white plate

Remove from refrigerator, unwrap and rub with the remainder of the rub on all sides and allow to rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Preheat grill. You want a surface temp 450°– 500°. That is medium-high on most grills. Clean and oil the grill well. This last step is important, or it will stick.

pork tenderloin going on the grill

Grill for 5-6 minutes per side and then decrease the heat a little and continue to flip about every 5-6 minutes until internal temp of 150°. About 25 minutes in total. Remember that a pork tenderloin has three sides.

cut pork tenderloin on white plate

Let rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting. Serve with Memphis BBQ sauce.

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📖 Recipe

image of slices of pork tenderloin with sauce on white plate

The Best BBQ Pork Tenderloin – Memphis Style

From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

brining time 3 hrs 30 mins

Total Time 4 hrs 10 mins

Servings #/Adjust if desired 4 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

Start with a simple brine. 4 cups cold water, 4 tablespoons table salt, 3 tablespoons brown sugar. Mix well in an one-gallon food storage bag.
Trim a pork tenderloin of any silver skin, loose fat and membranes. Add the tenderloin to the brine and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours.
Mix the Memphis dry rub: 2 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt – only add if not brining.
When the tenderloin is done brining, rinse under running water and pat dry with a paper towel. This will remove the brine salt from the surface.
Place on a piece of plastic wrap about 6 inches longer than the tenderloin. Rub all sides of the tenderloin well with the rub reserving about 1/4 of the rub for later.
Roll the tenderloin tightly in the plastic wrap, seal the ends and refrigerate for 1 -2 hours. Longer is OK.
Remove from refrigerator, unwrap and rub with the remainder of the rub on all sides and allow to rest at room temp for 20-30 minutes.
Preheat grill. You want a surface temp of 450°-500°. That is medium high on most grills. Clean and oil the grill well. This last step is important or it will stick.
Grill for 5-6 minutes per side and then decrease heat a little and continue to flip about every 5-6 minutes until internal temp of 145°-150°. About 25 minutes total. Let
Let rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

Recipe Notes

Pro Tips

Be sure you have a pork tenderloin and not a pork loin.
1 teaspoon table salt = 1 1/4 teaspoon Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
I like to make more rub and save for later. Store airtight in a dark area for up to 6 months.
You can skip the brine, the time with the rub, and the rest to room temperature but all these things add something to the final results.
Dry rubs and the sauce you use should complement each other. I suggest my Memphis sauce or another sweeter sauce like a Kansas City or St. Louis sauce. Not a Carolina vinegar-based sauce.

Have More Questions?Make it Perfect First Time and Every Time. Don’t miss out, check the full post above. Almost every recipe includes easy step by step photo instructions so you can visualize yourself cooking this recipe along with helpful tips and options.

TO ADJUST THE RECIPE SIZE:You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

Nutrition

Calories : 242kcalCarbohydrates : 14gProtein : 36gFat : 4gSaturated Fat : 1gCholesterol : 111mgSodium : 1390mgPotassium : 731mgFiber : 1gSugar : 12gVitamin A : 988IUCalcium : 27mgIron : 2mg

Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

Course :Main Course

Cuisine :American

Editor note: This is a republishing of one of the best recipes on this site. It is a bit more work but not hard and so worth the extra work. Originally published May 2, 2010, and then redone with new pictures May 2, 2013. It was in need of a rewrite and re-editing of pictures. Now updated again with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

dogs playing in the yard with flag bandanas

How to Grill Boneless Country Style Pork Ribs by Gordon Ramsay

Learn how to grill boneless country-style pork ribs with these easy to follow step by step photo instruction. Great taste with minimal work.
picture of a done boneless pork rib slab on a blue plate

Jump to:

Introduction and My Rating

Boneless country-style ribs are one of my favorite “cooking for two” meals. It is about the right size with two large serving or 3-4 more reasonable size servings.

They are also cheap, cook rapidly, and freeze well. And finally, they are lean and healthy with great taste.

It is leaner than lots of pork (healthier). And they can be prepared in many ways (grill, stovetop, and oven). You just need to know-how.

My rating:

My rating system. Great 5 out of 5

Low 5 or high 4. Great taste, and the drying was minimal.

🐖What are Boneless Country Style Pork Ribs?

Graphic of hog with location of Boneless Country Style Pork Ribs

Boneless country-style pork ribs are not real ribs. They are the tail end of a whole pork loin cut in half and scored to make “ribs.” So more a pork chop than real ribs.

Usually, that scoring is not very deep, so I like to deepen the cut to a little over half the thickness of the meat. I consider this to be more surface area for seasoning.

Unfortunately, there are also “bone-in country-style pork ribs,” which may get confused with the boneless variety. The boneless are the tail end of a pork loin and are lean while the bone-in variety is more like a slice of pork shoulder.

The bone-in ribs need to be cooked more like a pork shoulder (AKA pork butt), meaning low and slow while the boneless ribs are lean and are usually cooked more rapidly.

If you have the bone-in country-style ribs, check out Slow Grilled Bone-In Country Style Pork Ribs.

🧂To Brine or Not

These “ribs,” because they are lean, can tend to dry if overcooked. But if not overcooked, they can stay moist like a nice pork chop.

A brining would fix some of the moisture issues and add taste depending on the brine. But this would add hours and take it out of the weeknight recipe class.

A suggested brine would be 2 tablespoon table salt 1 tablespoon sugar and 2 cups of water for 1-4 hours. Other spices like allspice, garlic, pepper, etc. can be added.

I will be continuing to do these ribs by this method and brine if it fits my schedule.

♨️The Grill

These are a lean cut, unlike normal ribs, so low and slow is not recommended. I suggest a nice medium grill temperature of about 450° surface temperature. You can use a higher temperature, but they will dry out more.

To learn about controlling the surface temperature of your grill, please see A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill.

🌡️⏰Temperature and Time

For many years, due to the fear of trichinosis, which was a parasite found in undercooked pork, pork was cooked to 170 by common wisdom. However, with modern farming methods, that has not been a risk in the USA for decades.

The FDA went to a recommendation of 160° for a number of years. Then in 2012, went to the current recommendation of 145° with a 3-minute rest.

Taste and moisture wise, 145° is correct. There will be a little pink left in the pork at 145°, and if you are like my wife, who wants no pink, you will be more comfortable at 150° or even 155°. Please do not go over 155° for this cut, or it will begin to dry.

Also, the 145° recommendation is not for ground pork, which is 160°. And cuts like pork butt and ribs like baby back ribs, although safe at 145°, would not be considered done cooking.

The grilling time is about 20 minutes, depending on the grill, the thickness of the meat, and the final internal temperature you want. As always, cook to a final internal temperature and never by time alone.

🥣Rub and Sauce

First, you don’t have to use a rub. Since they are so like pork chops, if you have a favorite pork chop recipe, you can adapt it here. But I like to do the “rib” thing.

I tend to use a premade rub with this recipe since it is all about lazy. So you will see rub from Gate’s of Kansas City in the pictures along with their sauce.

But here is a great homemade rub that I keep around during grilling season. This makes enough for 2 slabs. Cut in half to have less leftover if you want, but I save it for next time.

8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) brown sugar
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder

What Sauce to Use?

Again, I tend to use premade out of laziness. I love my Gate’s BBQ Sauce from Kansas City, which I buy by the case. Bull’s-Eye Original Barbecue Sauce is recommended by CI.

But if you want the best sauce ever, try my Memphis BBQ Sauce.

📖Boneless Country Style Pork Rib Recipes

Grilled Boneless Country Style Pork Ribs with Simple Rub

Grilled Memphis Boneless Country Style Pork Ribs

30 Minute BBQ Boneless Pork Ribs

🔪Instructions

boneless ribs with sauce and rub

Optional: Brine first if you have time. 2 cups water, 1 tablespoon table salt, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar for 1-4 hours in the refrigerator. Rinse well and use a rub without salt.

clean and oil grill crates

Clean and oil grill grates, then preheat grill to a grill surface temperature of 450°-500°.

deepening the cuts on the ribs with a knife on a brown board

Trim ribs of any excess fat. Deepen the cuts that are already in the ribs to about 75% through.

Coat both sides of ribs with a rub of your choice. Be sure to get in the cuts. Rub in and let rest for 10 minutes while preheating the grill.

placing slab of boneless ribs over direct heat on a gas grill

Place over direct heat and close lid. Flip about every 5 minutes and grill until an internal temperature of about 145°-150°. About 20 minutes, depending on the grill and the thickness of the meat.

brushing boneless ribs with sauce on a grill

The last few minutes, coat with sauce on both sides and grill until brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

grilled boneless ribs on blue plate cut

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📖 Recipe

How to Grill Boneless Country Style Pork Ribs

Learn how to grill boneless country style pork ribs with these easy to follow step by step photo instruction. Great taste with minimal work.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Author: Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

Servings/Adjust Amount: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 slab boneless country style pork ribs
rub of your choice
Barbecue sauce of your choice

Optional brine

2 cups water
1 tablespoon table salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar

US Customary – Convert to Metric

Instructions

Optional: Brine first if you have time. 2 cups water, 1 tablespoon table salt, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar for 1-4 hours in the refrigerator. Rinse well and use a rub without salt.
Clean and oil grill grates then preheat grill to a grill surface temperature of 450°-500°.
Trim ribs of any excess fat. Deepen the cuts that are already in the ribs to about 75% through.
Coat both sides of ribs with a rub of your choice. Be sure to get in the cuts. Rub in and let rest for 10 minutes while preheating grill.
Place over direct heat and close lid. Flip about every 5 minutes and grill until aninternal temperature of about 145°-150°. About 20 minutes depending on grill and the thickness of the meat. Always cook to the final internal temperature and never by time alone.
The last few minutes, coat with sauce on both sides and grill until brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Recipe Notes

Pro Tips:

I remove most/all of the fat pad.
Extend the “rib cuts” to 75%
Brine if you have time. If you brine, use a rub without salt.
Rub and sauce of your choice.
Grill over a medium grill with a surface temperature of 450°.
Do not overcook. 145°-150° is nice.
If you don’t have a rib, try this version of 8311. This makes about twice what you need so cut in half or keep the extra for later. Also, if you brine, leave the salt out of the rub.
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

HAVE A QUESTION? – Look in the full post.Make it Perfect First Time and Every Time. Don’t miss out, check the full post above. Almost every recipe includes easy step by step photo instructions so you can visualize yourself cooking this recipe along with helpful tips and options.

ADJUST THE RECIPE SIZE:

You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

Nutrition

Nutrition is generally for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.

All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

Editor’s Note: Originally Published March 26, 2010. This has been a constant popular post on this blog even though it hasn’t been updated for over eight years. The post has been completely rewritten, all photos re-shot, expanded options, and a table of contents to help navigation.

lilly dog smiling

molly dog walking in the green grass

Healthified Restaurant Style Salsa — The Skinny Fork by Gordon Ramsay

This is an old one, but a good one. This Blender Salsa is tried and true and was one of the very first recipes that I ever posted here way back in 2013! It’s been a good long time since I made this salsa, and being as I managed to get my hands on a bunch of canned tomatoes… and a lot of us are surviving on pantry staples, I thought there was no better time than now to make this Healthified Restaurant Style Salsa again.

Originally I came up with this Healthified Restaurant Style Salsa for a family member who wanted one similar to what you’ll find at a chain restaurant that’s known for it’s peppery name.