Sweet Sriracha-Glazed Pork Skewers

"Sweet Sriracha Glaze" won me over with this one.  Once I read those words in the latest Cook's Illustrated, I was powerless; and I added them to my menu immediately.  But if you aren't one to be wooed by just a few words, I'll give you a few more reasons why you should add these skewers to your summer grilling repertoire.  They are super easy and low-maintenance, which minimizes indoor kitchen prep time, and maximizes outdoor fun time.  The recipe also calls for pork tenderloin, which is a healthy and relatively inexpensive cut of meat.  And finally, isn't it just more fun to eat food off a stick?

The combination of brown sugar and Sriracha chile sauce give the pork that super addictive and crave-worthy sweet heat.  The glaze is pretty fantastic, and I'm already envisioning many other ways to use it:  grilled shrimp, steak, chicken, or even brussels sprouts all sound pretty fantastic to me!

We grilled these for Memorial Day, and I also served them with grilled corn on the cob, these amazing broccoli rabe cheese toasts, and of course fresh watermelon.  As usual, I'm totally grill-obsessed, so be on the lookout for more grilled favorites soon!  Maybe I should change my blog name to Grilled Parsley?

Sweet Sriracha-Glazed Pork Skewers
adapted from Cook's Illustrated, May/June 2015
serves 4

• 2 pork tenderloins, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3 Tbs packed brown sugar
• 2 Tbs Sriracha sauce
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• cooking spray

Toss the pork and salt together in a large mixing bowl and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the brown sugar, Sriracha sauce, and cornstarch.

Prepare grill.

Set aside 2 tablespoons of the glaze, and add the rest to the pork, mixing well with a rubber spatula.

Thread the pork onto 4 to 5 12-inch metal skewers.  Spray both sides of the meat with the cooking spray.

Place the skewers on the grill and cook until well charred, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Use tongs to flip the skewers and brush with half the reserved glaze.  Grill an additional 2 minutes, flip the pork back to the original side, brush with the remaining glaze, and grill one more minute.

Transfer the skewers to a serving platter, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.