Pork Tenderloin Lollipops, A Meaty Treat For All Ages

By: Clint Cantwell, AmazingRibs.com President And BBQ Personality

pork tenderloin lollipops with dipping sauce

These innovative apps will disappear as soon as your guests feast their eyes on them!

Crowd-pleasing pork tenderloin gets a creative makeover in a grab-and-go recipe that is perfect for tailgating, backyard bashes, or a fun weeknight family meal.

Preparation of these appetizers couldn’t be simpler as the tenderloin is cut into 1/2-inch medallions then a 5-inch wooden lollipop stick is inserted into each medallion to create a meat lollipop. Just season them with salt and pepper and grill over direct heat until cooked through. A flavor-packed homemade soy-ginger sauce makes the perfect dip.

Note: This recipe was originally created as a paid promotion on Grillocracy.com for Smithfield’s line of pre-marinated pork tenderloin.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Lollipops Recipe

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4.47 from 28 votes

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The ultimate grab-and-go appetizer, these these pork tenderloin medallions are skewered with a lollipop stick before being grilled and served with soy-ginger dipping sauce.

Serve with: Sapporo or Kirin beer

Course:

Appetizer

Cuisine:

American

Asian

Makes:

12-14 lollipops

Servings: 6 people

Takes:

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 5

Equipment

5.5-inch bamboo lollipop sticks (available on Amazon, at Walmart and at craft stores such as Michael’s)

Ingredients

Soy-Ginger Dipping Sauce

Pork

▢ 1 pork tenderloin (approximately 18.4 ounces)
▢ 1/4 teaspoon Morton Coarse Kosher Salt (skip the salt if using pre-marinated pork tenderloin)
▢ Coarse ground black pepper (skip the pepper if using pre-marinated pork tenderloin)

Notes:

About the salt. Remember, kosher salt is half the concentration of table salt so if you use table salt, use half as much. Click here to read more about salt and how it works.

Metric conversion:

These recipes were created in US Customary measurements and the conversion to metric is being done by calculations. They should be accurate, but it is possible there could be an error. If you find one, please let us know in the comments at the bottom of the page

Method

Prep. Combine soy sauce, lime juice, minced ginger, honey, and sesame oil in a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine the ingredients. Set the sauce aside until ready to use.
Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut the tenderloin into ½-inch medallions (you should end up with 12-14 medallions). Skewer each medallion with a bamboo lollipop stick by inserting the pointed end completely through the pork.
Fire up. Prepare a charcoal grill for 2-zone cooking by placing a chimney full of lit charcoal briquets on one side of the grill's charcoal grate in order to create direct and indirect cooking zones. Adjust the grill vents to bring the temperature to about 400°F. On a gas grill, adjust the temperature knobs so that one half of the grill is off and the other half is heated enough to maintain a temperature of approximately 400°F on the indirect side.Prepare the grill for direct cooking, adjusting the vents to bring the temperature to approximately 400°F.
Cook. Once the grill comes to temperature, grill each side of the tenderloin lollipops for 4-5 minutes over direct heat until cooked through (145°F). If the exterior chars too quickly then simply move them to the indirect heat side of the grill.
Serve. Remove the lollipops from the grill and serve immediately with the soy-ginger dipping sauce.

Published On: 8/12/2021 Last Modified: 11/11/2024

Clint Cantwell, AmazingRibs.com President And BBQ Personality - Clint Cantwell is AmazingRibs.com's President, a championship competition BBQ cook, and outdoor cooking personality.

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