Grilled Pork Roast

By itself, a pork roast is an absolutely delicious meal. Most of the time I will cook it in the oven or I'll toss it in the crock pot. But when it's warm outside, I simply prefer not to turn on the oven if I don't have to. Besides, warm weather also means it's grilling season, and for me, there's just nothing better than food that's cooked outside on the grill. The great thing is that a pork roast cooked on the grill is as easy as one cooked in the oven, though I will tell you that the flavors do not compare. Grilled pork roast is quite a lot better in my opinion.

Marinate the roast

You can season or marinate your pork roast any way you like. For this particular recipe I like to make a teriyaki style marinade, which I think is very tasty, and because the marinade has a bit of sweetness to it, it compliments pork very well.

Here is what you will need for the marinade (for about a 3 1/2 - 4 lb. roast):

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/8 cup olive oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 oz. E&J Brandy

1/4 cup pineapple juice from a can of pineapple

Combine all of the ingredients and pour the marinade mixture over the pork roast, cover and marinate the roast in the refrigerator for at least three hours. But I have to tell you, overnight is by far best if you have the time. Also, make sure you turn the meat a couple of times during the marinating process in order to cover both sides of the meat.

Note: Don't have a can of pineapple juice handy? Substitute 1/4 cup orange juice.

Grilling the roast

For this recipe I am using a gas grill. The roast is a pork loin roast.

First, you want to fire up all of the burners (mine has two) and get the grill nice and hot. Meanwhile, get a loaf pan, or any pan that will fit in your grill with the lid closed, and fill it with 2 cups of water and 1 cup of beer.

Once the grill is nice and hot, shut off one of the burners, and place the roast on the side of the grill with the burner off. Place the water-filled pan on the side of the grill directly over the lit burner. This will help to keep moisture in the grill, and will help to keep your roast nice and moist as well.

Cook the roast, turning it once or twice throughout the cooking process, for at least 1 1/2 - 2 hours depending on your grill size and highest achievable temperature.

When I do this, I mainly use a meat thermometer. When the roast reaches 170 degrees at it's thickest part, it is done. Remove the roast from the grill, let it stand for about 3-5 minutes, then slice it according to your desired thickness.

Smoky gravy

If you like gravy, you may want to try this easy and tasty recipe. The roast, done right, should be moist and shouldn't require gravy. Still, this is a nice addition in my opinion, and it tastes great with this particular grilled pork roast recipe.

1 cup water

1 chicken bouillon cube

1/2 tsp. liquid smoke

1/4 cup beer

Bring the entire mixture to a boil and allow the chicken bouillon cube to fully dissolve, then add a mixture of corn starch or flour and water to thicken the gravy. I use about 1 1/2 - 2 tbsp. of corn starch to about 1 tbsp. of water to thicken mine.

Served with garlic mashed potatoes and your favorite vegetable, this is an awesome dish sure to satisfy.