Photo of Ginger pork and banana kebabs by WW

Ginger pork and banana kebabs

6
Points®
Total Time
22 min
Prep
13 min
Cook
9 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Moderate
The secret ingredient in this Caribbean favorite that marries the deliciousness of pork tenderloin with the sweetness of banana? It's diet cola. We used diet cola, instead of sugar, to add sweetness to the basting sauce for these Jamaican-inspired kebabs. You get the same great taste without the calories. Hoisin sauce and ginger mix perfectly with the cola for a flavorful marinade for this tropical-inspired dish. Make certain that you cut the banana and the pork into equal-size pieces. That way the kebabs will cook more evenly. We served the kabobs over rice for the perfect one-dish meal.

Ingredients

Fresh ginger

2 tsp, fresh, grated

Garlic

1 large clove(s), minced

Hoisin sauce

2 Tbsp

Fresh lemon juice

2 tsp

Diet cola

½ cup(s)

Table salt

tsp

Black pepper

tsp, freshly ground

Uncooked lean pork tenderloin

12 oz

Banana

4 small, green-tipped

Cooked white rice

2 cup(s), kept hot

Instructions

  1. Preheat broiler.
  2. To make marinade, in a small bowl, combine ginger, garlic, hoisin sauce, lemon juice, diet cola, salt and pepper; set aside.
  3. Slice pork in half lengthwise and then cut each half into eight 1-inch chunks to yield 16 pieces. Slice bananas into 4 chunks each.
  4. Alternately thread 2 pieces of pork with 2 pieces of banana onto each of eight 8-inch metal or wood skewers. (Note: Soak wood skewers in water for 30 minutes before using to prevent charring.) Place kebabs on rack of broiler pan and brush generously with marinade. Place 3 to 4 inches from heat source and broil 3 minutes.
  5. Remove from broiler, turn to second side and brush generously with marinade; broil for 3 minutes more.
  6. Remove from broiler, turn to third side and brush with ginger mixture; broil for 1 minute. Remove from broiler again, brush remaining side with marinade and broil until pork is cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Yields 2 skewers and 1/2 cup of rice per serving.

Notes

*You can also cook this recipe on an outdoor grill but cooking times may vary.