Fiery Pork and Pineapple Skewers [RECIPE]

Why make a mess in the kitchen when you can whip up dinner on the grill? These fiery pork and pineapple skewers are delicious! (Photo by Jathan Fink, Jadeworks Entertainment)

One of the things I love most about Asian cuisine is that it frequently pairs opposites and makes them work together as a yummy duo you rarely get anywhere else. Here, juicy pineapple is paired with marinated pork and red onion for an out of this world flavor combo that will surely knock your socks off. The best part is, you can cook these skewers up on the grill and that’s one less kitchen disaster you to have to clean up!

PREP TIME: 30 minutes + time to marinate meat overnight
COOK TIME: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 12 to 14 bamboo or metal skewers
• Finely grated zest and juice of 3 limes
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 1/2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 3 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 medium red onion, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 15-ounce can pineapple chunks, drained

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, combine lime zest and juice, soy sauce, sriracha sauce, sesame oil, ginger and garlic. Place the cubed pork into a large resealable plastic bag and pour marinade over it. Seal the bag, being careful to remove as much air as possible. Squish the pork inside the bag until all the meat is coated with liquid. Place bag in a glass dish inside the refrigerator and allow to marinate overnight.
2. When it’s time to grill, lightly brush oil over the grate before you fire up the barbie. Once this is done, “let’s kick the tires and light the fires, big daddy” and bring the temperature to a medium heat. (Guys will catch my Independence Day reference there.) While the grill warms up, soak your bamboo skewers for 30 minutes so they don’t catch fire when cooking. (You can skip this step if you’re using metal skewers.)
3. Thread each skewer with alternating layers of pork, onion, and pineapple; repeat. Just be sure to leave enough of the skewer showing at the bottom so you can handle them later while eating.
4. Gently put the prepared skewers on the grill with kitchen tongs and cook for 9 to 10 minutes, turning them a couple times during the cooking process to get a nice even char. If something starts to burn, just move the skewers around on the grill to avoid ruining your dinner.
5. Load the skewers on a serving platter and serve warm with extra sriracha sauce for those that like more heat on their meat. Enjoy!

YIELD: 12 skewers

Harper Wave

This is a modified version of the same recipe found in The Dude Diet: Clean(ish) Food for People Who Like to Eat Dirty by Serena Wolf. The publisher was kind enough to send us an advance copy of the book to review, and we absolutely love it!

Packed full of glorious, mouth-watering photographs and easy-to-follow directions, this book is written in “guy speak” and should appeal to every dude out there, even those whose culinary skills are less than stellar.

We tweaked this recipe to suit our taste simply because limes were smaller than usual, good ripe pineapples were hard to come by, and we love a tad more garlic than some people. But this should give you an idea of what to expect if you pick up this book which came out from Harper Wave on Oct. 25. We know you’ll love it as much as we do!