Pork Loin Marinades

"If you want a subject, look to pork!" -- Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

This past week we started eating healthy again. I can't remember the last time we allowed all food groups to be a part of our everyday life. We've done the lo-carb, the no-carb, the lo-fat, and several name brand diets such as Atkins, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and more. I'm tired of it and so is my family. It's time to learn to eat right and follow a recipe. Food has become bland and boring. Tan food. I want ZING, PIZAZZ! I want fun and fulfillment in what we eat. I want to get control of my eating habits. It's time. For me that includes following recipes instead of just throwing together what is quick.

Yesterday I made 2 pork loins, about 1.25 lbs each. I decided to marinate them with different recipes and then taste test to see which we liked the best. We had a clear winner (2 to 1, 1 abstained on the grounds that she detests meat and is a vegetarian.) Which do you think is the best?

Sweet To Meat Marinade
(found in Taste Of Home's Low-Carb Recipes cookbook as Grilled Pork Appetizers)

We made this with a 1 1/4 lb pork loin although the recipe is for a 1lb loin. Just add a bit extra (1 tsp or so) of each ingredient. Our following recipes is not very exact.

1 lb boneless pork loin roast
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp canola oil
3 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp ground ginger (we had fresh ginger root and sliced off three 1/4" slices and chopped them up)

Take a large ziploc bag and place the pork loin in the bottom. Pour/add all the ingredients on top of the pork. Close bag, squish around the ingredients to cover pork and refrigerate 2-4 hours. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 35-55 minutes. Check the middle for pink, when it has none, it's done. Serve with a spoonful of lingonberry or cranberry sauce.

Grilled Pork Loin
(Found & modified from the Be A Balaboosta blog.)

1 lb pork loin roast
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp thyme, dried
1/2 tsp nutmeg, ground
1/8 tsp garlic powder (I left this out)
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ginger, ground (again, we used fresh ginger root, see above)
1/8 tsp cinnamon

Take a large ziploc bag and place the pork loin in the bottom. Pour/add all the ingredients on top of the pork. Close bag, squish around the ingredients to cover pork and refrigerate 2-4 hours. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 35-55 minutes. Check the middle for pink, when it has none, it's done. Serve with a spoonful of lingonberry or cranberry sauce.