Caramelized Grilled Pork Skewers (Paleo, Whole30, Keto)
Paleo caramelized grilled pork skewers. Delicious pork skewers marinated in fresh herbs, citrus fruit and charcoal grilled to perfection. Slightly crispy outside and juicy sweet inside.
Paleo caramelized grilled pork skewers. Delicious pork skewers marinated in fresh herbs, citrus fruit and charcoal grilled to perfection. Slightly crispy outside and juicy sweet inside.
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- half one whole lime juice
- 1 lb pork tenderloin (slice into thin pieces (about â¼
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (to grill the pork)
- 15 bamboo skewers (4 inch length)
- 1 cup cilantro (chopped (including stems and leaves))
- 1 tsp white pepper powder
- 6 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp fish sauce (red boat brand)
- 1 tsp red chili pepper powder
- Carbohydrate 0.54888 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 4.31696 g
- Fiber 0.209600006103516 g
- Protein 0.0832 g
- Saturated Fat 0.598752 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (163g)
- Sodium 0.126 mg
- Sugar 0.339279993896484 g
- Trans Fat 0.117156 g
- Calories 40 calories
Step-by-step
- Slice the pork into thin pieces, about ¼ inch thick bite-sized pieces
- Soak the bamboo skewers in room temperature water 2-3 hours before grilling.
- Chop cilantro into fine pieces and mince garlic cloves. You can also use a food processor if preferred.
- Combine white pepper powder, coconut aminos, fish sauce, olive oil, lime juice, and chili pepper powder with chopped cilantro and minced garlic cloves. Mix well.
- Pour the marinate over sliced pork tenderloin and make sure the marinate is coated evenly over the meat. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Best overnight for maximum flavor.
- Slightly drip off the marinate before threading the pork onto the skewers.
- Thread the pork onto the skewers kabob-style.
- Try to pack the meat tight and scrunch up together, about 4 pieces per skewers.
- This will help the meat stay tender as opposed to flat pieces that are dry and tough after grilling.
- Heat a saute pan (or a griddle pan) with 2 tbsp olive oil. When hot, grill the pork skewers about 2-3 minutes per side until they are slightly charred on the outside and cooked through on the inside.
- Brush the marinade over the pork occasionally when it’s on the grill. This will help the meat stay moist.
- Enjoy when it’s hot and watch them gone quicker than you think !!
Coconut aminos supply the essential amino acids and natural sugars that drive the Maillard reaction and browning on the surface of the meat. When these amino acids meet high heat in the skillet, non-enzymatic browning creates complex flavor molecules rapidly. Liquid application must be carefully managed to encourage deep color development without burning the delicate garlic solids suspended in the marinade.
Assessing doneness without an internal thermometer relies entirely on visual and tactile cues. The exterior should display distinct charcoal spots from direct contact with the hot metal surface, while the meat tightens significantly around each bamboo skewer. Slicing pork tenderloin into uniform quarter-inch thicknesses ensures that the interior reaches safe denaturation thresholds within the strict two to three minute cooking window per side.
Packing the meat tightly on soaked skewers protects the interior muscle fibers from excessive moisture loss. Loose meat arrangements expose too much surface area to direct heat, evaporating internal juices prematurely and yielding dry, tough proteins. Submerging bamboo in water for at least two hours prior to assembly prevents combustion during the high-heat searing phase.
Extended marination times allow the acid from fresh lime juice to partially denature surface proteins, altering texture before thermal energy ever reaches the pan. This chemical tenderizing breaks down tough collagen matrices in lean pork tenderloin. Keeping the contact window under twenty-four hours prevents the outer layers from becoming overly mushy.
