eeezy, peeezy, lemon squeeezy

One of the things that makes me often consider turning to a catering service, or even bringing trays in from the grocery store deli, is the just the volume of food to be prepared when my goal is to create a memorable, comfortable gathering for 20-30 people. The best example of this comes with the main course we’ve served at the First Communion celebrations. But this recipe, clipped from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch food section last year, comes through. It is easy to do the day before and tastes as good out of the fridge as it does right off the grill.

My daughter just stacked some meat on her plate with veggies and dip. Capt. Kindergarten, of course, ate only dollar rolls and peanuts that day. (Although I do recall some cake on his shirt!) And the guest of honor was spotted with no fewer than five sandwiches. All three kids love buffets because they are given independence for the day.

Hubby and my brother manned the fire. Dad has a slicer he lugged from Chicago (Thanks, Dad!) which made that process quicker and more even than what I served last year, which I sliced by hand. I think we did about nine tenderloins in all. There was only about one-and-a-half left at the end of the day, because I encouraged my house guests to just open the fridge for leftovers when they were hungry later that night. By the meat over time on sale. Defrost on Friday and put in the marinade Friday night or Saturday early. We let them soak between 10 and 12 hours. Grill, slice and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. Making this recipe ahead is great for any hot summer celebration. And the cook can sit down and eat with the guests. And isn't that what we're hoping for when we make the invitations? Enjoy!

Marinated Pork Tenderloin Dollar Sandwiches
1 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons plus 4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 tablespoons honey
2 (1-1½ pound) pork tenderloins
dollar rolls sliced for sandwiches

For Sauce, combine:
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Place pork in a large, self-sealing plastic bag or in a sealable container. Combine olive oil, soy sauce, garlic powder and honey. Pour over pork. Make sure it is coated completely. Let marinate at least 2 hours in the refrigerator, better if overnight.
Combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Over a medium fire, grill whole tenderloins about 5 minutes per side until all sides are seared and browned. Remove from grill and slice in one-inch medallions. Grill medallions five minutes on each face. Check for doneness. When completely cooked remove from heat and let stand about 5 minutes. Spread sauce on the inside faces of a dollar roll; place a pork medallion inside each roll and serve.