Allegro Barbecue Sauce - Rocking a Pork Loin with a Bacon Weave

Allegro Original Barbecue Sauce Review

Tonight I grilled a pork loin with a bacon weave and sauced it with Allegro Barbecue Sauce. I've not tried the Allegro BBQ sauces. In fact, I just learned about this company when I got a marinade they make with my birthday gift certificate from my son. The company saw my review and that I can't find the products here, so they sent me some samples to try out.

Pork Loin with a Bacon Weave for Grilling

IGA had a good sale on pork loins this week, and we do love those. I decided I'd get a small one and do a bacon weave and then sauce the pork loin with the Allegro Original barbecue sauce. They have a hot version too, but my younger son is not real big on hot foods. He did not get that from his Mom I can tell you for sure.

Pork Loin on an Infrared Grill

I put my pork loin on the preheated grill (heating it helps prevent sticking), but this is an infrared grill, so even though I heated and then left the lid open 5 minutes or so, this was one hot grill. For a pork loin, you want lower and slower, so a smoker or an offset would be a better idea. I can handle it. I did babysit the grill and went with the lid up and down to keep the temperatures down lower. Mostly I ended up sitting at 350 degrees F but with some spikes I had to watch. I would normally go lower, but I was asking a grill to do what a true grill is not designed to do.

In any case, the bacon quickly shrunk and stuck tight as it should which then makes it easier to work a bacon weaved anything on a grill or smoker. Once that bacon "sets," then you can turn the meat as you like, and it's easy to work with.

Time to Sauce Up the Pork Loin with Allegro BBQ Sauce

When the grilled pork loin hit 140 degrees (on my Taylor thermometer - low tech but I love it), I hit the pork loin with the Allegro Original BBQ sauce. I lathered it up good and flipped it and did the top as well. It was close done, and I just needed the sauce to heat and caramelize.

My Saucy Allegro Pork Loin

It was cold out tonight, but it took around 15 minutes for the sauce to set up right and for the pork loin temperature to hit 155 degrees F. I often pull pork loin at 150, but since it was a cold night, I went a little higher. The end temperature you want per government recommendations is 160. The meat cooks on a bit after you take it off, so you want to go a little lower when you pull the meat.

Yum! That Pork Loin Was Fabulous.

After letting the bacon wrapped pork loin with Allegro Barbecue sauce rest about 10 minutes, I sliced it. I had mine plain, but the guys had their sliced pork on buns as sandwiches.

The flavor was excellent. Next time, I might add some seasonings or marinade to the meat, but I wanted the full effect of the Allegro sauce tonight. It was very good. It is a barbecue sauce that you could serve to any family or friend group. It's not over the top on anything but has a really smooth flavor.

I'm looking forward to the spicey Allegro BBQ sauce. I love the heat. I can picture the extra heat in my mind on this one. Yum boy. I'd be more likely to use Allegro Original, because you never know about your guests, but I'm going to hit mine with some hot stuff soon, and I'll let you know how that goes. I'm guessing really great, since I've loved all the Alllegro products I've tried so far. I think Food Lion (our local grocery chain) needs to add these Allegro products to their barbecue section.

How to Make Cheap Steak Taste Great on the Grill

Allegro Teriyaki Marinade Review

Tonight we had that steak that I dread to grill (or even look at), because I bought it off this guy in a meat truck. Seemed like a good idea (and price) at the time, but this steak is just not all that prime. We're in a recession. I've always hated to waste food, but I do hate to spend time on the grill and have poor results. So, that steak has been going begging as we say in the South.

My college son gave me a gift certificate to a gourmet food store in Chapel Hill, and I bought Allegro Hot & Spicy marinade and fell in love with it. The company noticed that, and they sent me some samples of other products in their line as I really can't find them here. You can visit Allegro and find out where to buy near your home, and you can also buy these products online - thankfully.

Allegro Teriyaki Marinade

I had to give it some thought, but I decided that the Allegro Teriyaki Marinade would be a good pick. I was thinking to grill these thin steaks and serve them on sandwich buns. I didn't want anything too overpowering with the steaks cut too thin (in my estimation). Really, I was not wanting bologna.

The steaks went in the marinade about 45 minutes before I was ready to grill. They were thawed prior, and the extra time gave them a chance to get up closer to room temperature which works better on a grill (prevents sticking and makes for more even grilling). It also lets the flavors meld.

Grilling Steaks with Allegro on the Urban Char Broil

I watched these steaks close, because they were thin (and one was thicker - a T bone maybe?) plus it was cold outside. Brrr. I used the Char Broil Urban grill, because it is super easy, and the heat retention is super.

With the lower quality steak, I wanted a pretty solid medium (to slightly on the done side of that). If you press the steak with the tongs, and it feels kind of like the skin between your thumb and forefinger, then that's about right there. Some people will tell you to go toward rare and cut on the grain with lower grade steak. That works, but the guys here will not eat steak that is bleeding. That is just not on the table.

I had been reading up on Allegro after I found that I so loved the Hot & Spicy they make, and they started out making marinades that would make lower priced cuts more tender and taste better. I felt better right then. I knew these were, for sure, not top quality cuts. But, who can afford the best stuff all the time now? I hoped the Allegro would fix them up and take them beyond . . . well yuck.

Cheap Steaks Off the Grill and Looking Good - Crossing My Fingers

I was shivering cold but thought I had nailed my Allegro steaks. I knew they looked great, but beauty is only bone deep when it comes to grilling (and two of these steaks did not even have ones - rib eyes I think they said - but I'd bet no money on that). The real test was around the table. Well, it was on the couch tonight, because the basketball games are on, and who is a Grill Girl to mess with that?

Allegro Heaven on a Bun Steak Sandwich

I almost swooned when I took a bite of this steak sandwich with Allegro marinade. I'm Southern, and I'm not totally sure about this swooning thing other than it means super extra good - yay. I guess I'm not really the full blown swooning type, but I do know what I like.

The Allegra Teriyaki Marinade did, in fact, make the meat extra tender. It was like fork tender, and this meat is tough as heck as we've noticed time and again hoping to finish it off in this lifetime or sooner.

In addition, the flavor was totally rocking with Allegro. Some Teriyaki is too salty for me. I am not the salt fan. A little is okay. Don't take it very far though, or I need water for the next week by IV is possible. I'm more into spice which is why I bought the Allego Hot & Spicy which is top of list in my book.

We got a three thumbs up tonight. My mild guy can't handle the Hot & Spicy, but he loved the Allegro Teriyaki. In fact, he had two sandwiches, and he might have had another if I'd cooked more steak.

This was a tough test for Allegro. If the marinade had made these thin and tough steaks even a little better, I would have been impressed. The marinade did take the tough out of this bad buy of steak I made.

I can't say I've had a better steak sandwich even when using good steak cuts. I really put Allegro to the test, and they came out with flying colors. I would not have dinged them for not fixing up my tough as shoe leather steaks, but I am really thrilled that the marinade took them from pretty awful to fabulous. Really, the difference was that much! I say: Go out and buy some Allegro marinade. It honestly is some prime stuff when it made my ick steak an extra special meal tonight.