Spicy 'ribs' with island salsa: get fired up for outdoor grilling with lean pork tenderloin - Lighter & Leaner

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, July, 2002 by Kathryn E. Scherb

I like baseball arid apple pie, grilling is one of America's favorite culinary sports. Cooking outdoors is an easy, aromatic way to prepare all kinds of healthy foods. No grill? Don't worry. You'll get great results with your broiler or indoor electric grill.

Summer is full of wonderful dishes that work perfectly on the grill. Many of our favorites are too rich for every day, but you can still keep summer classics such as barbecued ribs in your game plan. You just need a way to cut back on fat and calories without sacrificing zesty flavor and juicy texture. Impossible, you say? Trust me, it isn't.

Here we offer a leaner take on pork ribs, one of the highest-fat cuts of meat. To bring down the fat arid calories, I substituted pork tenderloin. At 142 calories and only 4 grams of fat per 3-ounce serving, tenderloin is extremely lean and the most tender cut of pork. In fact, it has fewer calories and less fat than a 3-ounce chicken breast (163 calories and 6 grams fat). Best of all, with this recipe you get to eat the spicy, succulent meat from a skewer -- almost like eating meat off the bone.

In lieu of a traditional oil-based marinade, I created a dry rub. Most Southern pit masters, the culinary wizards of the rib world, rub a spice mixture into the meat before it hits the flame. This spicy; deeply flavored rub is fabulous for pork, as well as poultry, fish and vegetables. Mix up a big batch and keep it on hand for summer grilling. After the rub comes the mop -- frequent basting with barbecue sauce. To make life easy, I started with store-bought hickory-flavored barbecue sauce and jazzed it up with prepared tomato salsa. After basting, you can use this red-hot concoction as a table sauce for the ribs, or serve remaining sauce with hamburgers or chicken.

For advance preparation, simply store the rub in an airtight container and refrigerate the sauce. The skewers can be assembled a day ahead and put on the grill just before serving. When using bamboo skewers, pre-soak them in warm water for 30 minutes to prevent burning.

Woman cannot survive on meat alone, especially a physically active gal. So I boosted the nutritional value and taste appeal with a side of fruit salsa. A refreshing complement to the spicy ribs, Island Salsa is full of antioxidants from all the fresh fruits and vegetables. These powerful compounds boost your immunity and protect against disease. Antioxidants also counteract the blast of health-harming free radicals produced by strenuous exercise. To be sure you get your fair share, eat at least 2-4 servings of fruits and 3-5 servings of vegetables each day.

Overall, eating lots of fruits and vegetables is an ideal way to shed pounds and maintain a healthy weight. Including lean meat in your eating plan helps build muscle and assists repair of fine tears in muscle fiber that are a normal result of exercise. When it comes to great taste and good nutrition, these spicy ribs and vibrant salsa can't be beat.

RELATED ARTICLE: LIGHTER & LEANER PORK TENDERLOIN

In a small bowl, combine 2 tsp. Each:

Ground cumin

Brown sugar

Dried oregano

Ground black pepper

Set aside.

Chili powder

Kosher salt

Garlic powder

In a small bowl, combine:
1/2 cup thick, hickory-flavored,
    tomato-based prepared barbecue sauce
1/2 cup thick tomato-based prepared
    salsa, medium or mild

Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate.

1 lb. pork tenderloin
1 tsp. olive oil
1 large red bell pepper cut into 16 (1-inch) pieces
8 (10-inch) skewers

Trim fat from pork arid cut into 8 (6x1 1/2-inch) strips. Place in a medium bowl: drizzle pork with oil and toss with 2 tablespoons rib rub. Let stand in refrigerator 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

Thread 1 bell pepper piece, then 1 pork strip onto each skewer (soak wood skewers in water for 30 minutes beforehand). Top with red bell pepper. Brush pork with barbecue sauce. Grill, over hot coals 12 minutes, turning occasionally, basting often with sauce. Or broil in oven in a shallow pan coated with cooking spray until cooked through. Makes four servings (two skewers per serving). Serve with Island Salsa.

In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup each chopped, peeled:

Pineapple

Kiwi fruit

Cantaloupe

Red or yellow bell pepper

Stir in 1 Tbsp. each:

Minced red onion

Lime juice

Grated orange rind

Orange juice

Sprinkle with:

2 Tbsp. chopped.fresh cilantro or basil
1/2 tsp. minced jalapeno pepper (without seeds), if desired

Toss gently; cover and refrigerate. Makes four servings (about 1/2 cup each). Per serving of two pork skewers and 1/2 cup Island Salsa: 295 calories, 34 g protein, 23 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat, 4 g fiber.

Kathryn E. Scherb, ACSM, RD, is a nutritionist (registered dietitian) and certified personal trainer in the New York-metro area. She frequently writes for leading magazines and appears on television. Her company, KS&A Communications, provides nutrition consulting services to the food, health and fitness industry. She can he reached at 845-369-9018.