Grilled Peanut Lime Pork

Last week I pulled a bag out of my freezer of what I thought contained chicken breasts (I was going to make one of my new fave grilled items that I raved about a few weeks ago, the Bacon & Cheddar Chicken Sandwiches).   However, I clearly was not paying attention when I pulled out the bag because what I really grabbed was a small chunk of a pork loin I portioned out a few weeks ago.  I think my lack of labelling in my freezer is a bit of an issue....

Or is it?

I had a sudden bolt-of-lightning-brain-wave when I saw the three lonely little limes sitting on my counter.    I also had some cilantro growing like a rogue weed in my little patio herb garden.  What goes with lime and cilantro?  Peanuts!  Boom.  A delightful little marinade came together in my brain.  Then in a bowl.  Then to the fridge.  Then to the grill.  Yes, friends....this delicious concoction of grilled pork deliciousness is just that easy.

Peanut-lime pork

To make it yourself, you'll need:
-About 1.5 lbs of pork loin (no, this doesn't have to be tenderloin... just a chunk of pork loin or some center cut pork chops will suffice)

For the marinade:
Combine the following ingredients in a small bowl:
-3 tbsp soy sauce
-1 tbsp sesame oil
-2 tbsp lime juice
-1/2 tsp crushed chili peppers
-1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
-1 clove of minced garlic
-1 tbsp brown sugar
-2 tbsp very finely chopped cilantro

For the peanut sauce:
Whisk together the following ingredients:
3 tbsp peanut butter (I use natural)
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp water (to think it out a bit if using natural peanut butter)


I cut my pork loin into thin (about 3/4 inch) chops and then sliced each chop into strips about 2 inches wide.  Place the pork in a zipper freezer bag and pour the marinade over.  Refrigerate and allow to marinate for between 2 to 4 hours.

After your pork has soaked in the deliciousness for enough time, skewer it, 2 or 3 strips per stick. If using wooden skewers, be sure you have soaked them in water for at least an hour prior to this, so they won't burn  on the grill.   While skewering the pork, have your grill preheating to a very high temperature.

Place the skewers on your lightly oiled, hot grill.  These are thinner strips, so don't overcook them!  I found about 3 to 4 minutes per side is plenty.  Brush them generously with the peanut sauce in the last couple minutes of cooking.

Enjoy!