President Grover Cleveland made Labor Day an official national holiday back in 1894 to honor the contributions and achievements of American workers. I doubt that the president foresaw that down the road, Americans would embrace the occasion by firing up their grills. On the day that marks the end of summer, many celebrate with a backdrop of succulent meats and seductive smoke.
We savor dishes that sing to barbecue lovers’ souls. We celebrate the magic of manipulating flame and fuel. We devour with gusto. Here are three meat-centric grilled entrees designed for hungry revelers on Labor Day 2025.
Mojo-Marinated Pork Tenderloin sits on a bed of baby greens – accompanied with rice-black bean medley and sliced oranges. (Photo by Nick Koon, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Grilled Mojo Pork Tenderloins
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Steven Raichlen, grilling guru, cookbook author, and TV show host, says pork is particularly delicious with any marinade with a fruity component. He says the general rule of thumb is to use a marinade with leaner cuts of pork (such as loin or tenderloin), and a dry rub with fattier cuts.
In a long-ago interview, I asked him about his Mojo Marinade, pronouncing it MO-joe, just like film character Austin Powers. He told me I could increase my cool factor if I called it MO-hoe. But no matter how it’s pronounced, this classic Caribbean mixture turns pork tenderloins into delicacies. The mixture combines citrus juices, oil, garlic and herbs. Half is used as a marinade. The other half is set aside to use as a sauce.
Yield: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup olive oil
8 large cloves garlic, peeled, thinly sliced crosswise
1 teaspoon ground cumin or more to taste
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or mint
2 to 3 pork tenderloins (1 1/2 pounds total)
2 large sweet onions cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
For serving: 1 navel orange, peeled, sectioned with membranes removed or peeled and sliced
DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare Mojo: Heat oil in deep saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cumin; cook until garlic is fragrant and pale golden color, 1 to 2 minutes. Do not let garlic brown too much or it will be bitter. Cautiously add lime and orange juice (it may sputter, so stand back). Cautiously add salt, pepper, oregano and water. Stir and bring sauce to boil. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and/or cumin if needed. Cool to room temperature. Add cilantro.
2, Trim tenderloins of silverskin (sinew on exterior), if present. Place in single layer in nonreactive 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Pour half of the cooled Mojo over pork and marinate, covered, in refrigerator at least 3 hours, preferably overnight, turning occasionally to insure even marinating. Refrigerate remaining Mojo to serve as a sauce.
3. Preheat grill (if using gas, preheat to high). Remove pork from marinade and discard marinade (keeping reserved marinade for sauce). Brush and oil grill grate. Arrange tenderloins on grill. Brush onion with some of the reserved Mojo, skewer them crosswise on bamboo skewers or toothpicks. Place on grill. Grill pork and onions until cooked to taste. The meat will take 3 to 4 minutes on each of its 4 sides, 12 to 16 minutes in all for medium. To test for doneness, insert an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of meat. The internal temperature should be about 155 to 160 degrees.
4. Onions should be nicely charred after about 4 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer meat to cutting board and let it rest for 3 minutes. Slice tenderloins crosswise on the diagonal. Fan out slices on plates or platter and top with onions (removed from skewers). Spoon the reserved mojo and garnish with orange segments or slices. Serve.
Source: Adapted from “How to Grill” by Steven Raichlen (Workman, $19.95)
Indirect heat is used in Phil’s Smoked Chicken Thighs with mushroom spiked couscous. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Phil’s Smoked Chicken Thighs
Over the years, my husband, Phil McCullough, has been drawn by the magic of manipulating flame and fuel to create perfect smoked chicken on our Weber kettle barbecue. His goal was to create a luscious rendition that would fill the meat with just-right amounts of smoky taste, while leaving the flesh moist and tender beneath crisp mahogany-hued skin. The recipe has taken some twists and turns, with small tweaks in ingredients and techniques with each new bout at the barbecue.
I’m in charge of trimming and brining the bird. I use oh-so-clean kitchen shears to trim away excess fat from thighs, cutting off any fat-and-skin danglers that hang over the side or excessive fat on the underside. I soak them for one hour in a combination of cold water, kosher salt and sugar. After it brines for the first 25 minutes, I ask Phil to start the fire. The results are magical.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
Kettle-style charcoal grill, such as Weber’s
List of equipment listed in Step #1
4 large chunks hardwood, applewood preferred
3 quarts water
3/4 cup kosher salt
3/4 cup sugar
4 1/2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Soak wood chunks in water; set aside (weight them down with a plate if needed). Have ready an instant-read thermometer, a charcoal chimney starter (this eliminates the need for lighter fluid), long tongs, barbecue mitt, disposable small aluminum roasting pan (drip pan) with 2 cups of water, 2 quarts charcoal briquettes plus additional 2 cups, sheets of crumpled newspapers (not the food page), matches.
2. In a large ceramic or stainless steel bowl or pot, add 3 quarts cold water, salt and sugar; stir to dissolve. Trim chicken thighs: cut off excess fat and skin that hangs over the side (discard it). Add chicken to brine; stir. Cover and refrigerate for 45 to 60 minutes. Start charcoal in chimney starter after chicken has brined 25 minutes (see Step #3). After the brining is completed, pat chicken dry with paper towels. Brush both sides with oil and season with pepper.
3. For barbecue: Open bottom vent halfway. Open lid vent halfway. Remove the top rack. Place rack with rails for indirect grilling in place. Place crumbled newspapers in bottom of chimney starter and place it in center of barbecue. Fill top of chimney with 2 quarts of briquettes. Light newspapers. When coals at the top start to get gray, use barbecue mitt to pick up chimney by the handle and dump half in each side (leaving center empty). Place disposable roasting pan that contains 2 cups of water in center. Scatter 3 to 4 unheated briquettes on top of heated ones. Add wood chunks on top of the charcoal. Return top rack.
4. Place chicken thighs (skin side up) side by side across the center section over the drip pan. Cover with lid and cook 75 to 90 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 175 degrees. If in the process the smoke and fire seem to be diminishing, open the vents a little more using barbecue mitts and/or add more charcoal.
5. Transfer to platter and allow to rest 5 to 8 minutes.
Strips of rib-eye or New York steak are threaded on to skewers, dabbed with oil and sprinkled with rosemary before grilling. (Photo by Cathy Thomas)
Grilled Rosemary Steak Skewers with Parmesan Sauce
Cut into diagonal strips about a half-inch thick, and thread on skewers, these ribbons of rosemary scented steak are divine. The horseradish-spiked sauce plays an important role, offering savory and earthy notes of Parmesan cheese. The sauce can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and stored airtight in the refrigerator. Return to room temperature before serving. Cookbook author Jill Silverman Hough suggests serving this dish with a Syrah.
Be sure to soak the bamboo skewers in water for at least 10 minutes before use to prevent them from burning.
Yield: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided use
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds rib-eye or New York steaks, trimmed, and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch strips
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
8-inch bamboo skewers, about 18, soaked in water for at least 10 minutes
DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium-small bowl, combine Parmesan, sour cream, cream, juice, horseradish, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper.
2. Thread the steak onto skewers, one strip per skewer, leaving the meat relatively flat. Brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary, the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
3. Heat grill to medium-high. Brush grate with wire brush to clean. Grill the skewers to desired doneness, about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes per side. Remove and allow to rest, loosely covered with aluminum foil, for 5 minutes. Serve with Parmesan sauce on the side.
Source: “100 Perfect Pairings” by Jill Silverman Hough (Wiley)