Pork Kabobs with Barbecue Sauce

These pork kabobs lean on a homemade chile barbecue sauce that’s better than anything bottled. Tomato puree gets simmered with molasses, pickled jalapeños, garlic, Dijon mustard, and red wine vinegar until it thickens into a sweet-tangy-spicy glaze with real depth.

The pork tenderloin marinates in the sauce for at least 4 hours (overnight is better), which lets the molasses and acid penetrate the meat and tenderize it from the inside. The leaner the cut, the more it benefits from this treatment, and tenderloin is about as lean as pork gets.

A quick broil or grill caramelizes the sugars in the sauce into a sticky lacquer on the outside while the inside stays juicy. Serve over steamed cabbage to soak up the extra sauce.

Pro Tips

• Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before threading. Dry skewers char and snap on a hot grill or under the broiler.
• Trim the silver skin off the tenderloin before cubing. That tough membrane shrinks during cooking and pulls the meat into uneven shapes.
• Don’t marinate longer than 24 hours. The vinegar and acid in the sauce break down the protein, and over-marinated pork turns mushy.
• Reserve sauce for serving before the meat ever touches it. Sauce that’s been in contact with raw pork is unsafe to brush on cooked meat without re-boiling.
• Pull pork at 145°F (63°C) for juicy, slightly pink meat. Resting for 5 minutes after broiling redistributes the juices.

Variations

• Use chicken thighs or thick-cut beef sirloin in place of pork for a different protein.
• Add cubes of bell pepper, pineapple, or red onion between pork chunks on the skewers for color and flavor.
• Substitute chipotle in adobo for the pickled jalapeños in the sauce for a smokier heat profile.