HealthNotes

Coconut-Crusted Pork Tenderloin Lollipops

• From: National Pork Board

Ingredients

• 1 pork tenderloin, (about 1 pound)

• 1 cup sweetened coconut, shredded

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1/4 cup apricot jam

• 1 Tbs fresh ginger root, grated

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled

• 1 Tbs olive oil

• salt

• ground black pepper

• 12 6-inch wooden skewers

These coconut-apricot "lollipops" are perfect as finger food, they're just the thing for your next party or potluck.

Directions

• Heat oven to 350° F. Spread coconut on baking sheet. Place in heated oven and bake for 6-8 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring halfway through baking.
• Meanwhile, place honey, jam, ginger, and garlic in blender container. Cover and blend until well mixed.
• Rub tenderloin with oil; season with salt and pepper. Prepare a medium-hot fire in covered grill. Grill tenderloin, over direct heat for 5 minutes or just until entire surface is brown, turning occasionally. Adjust grill to indirect heat; generously brush entire tenderloin with honey-apricot mixture. Cover and grill over indirect heat for 15-25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160° F, brushing generously with additional honey-apricot mixture halfway through grilling. Transfer pork to cutting board. Loosely cover with foil; let rest for 10 minutes.
• Brush tenderloin again with honey-apricot mixture. Coat tenderloin in coconut, firmly pressing coconut on pork. Skewer with lollipop sticks or bamboo skewers, from the top straight through to the bottom, at 1/2-inch intervals. Slice between sticks into lollipop-shaped pieces. Pat edges of "lollipops" with remaining coconut, if necessary.