I’m not always a huge fan of pork, but I’m partial to the tenderloin. Pork tenderloin is a long cut of meat that runs along the spine. Considering the placement, the tenderloin is extremely lean (comparable to a chicken breast) and – as it’s name suggests – wonderfully tender. Tenderloin is great marinated, seasoned and sauced, baked, or grilled. It’s also very easy to cook, as you’ll see below.
For this recipe, I decided to bake two tenderloins with some fresh herbs and a decent amount of butter. The result was a satisfying, savory, yet decently simple weeknight meal. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!
The tenderloin that I used for this recipe was from Butcher Box, and they were delicious. If you’re looking to shake up your protein intake, or simply stock the freezer with a good selection of tasty meats, I’d definitely recommend giving them a try.
If you’re interested, use this link (ButcherBox Referral) to get $30 off and whichever promotion they’re running right now, which at the time of this writing (Nov 28, 2021) is free NY strip steak in every shipment for the first year of your membership
Ingredients
- 2 lbs of pork tenderloin
- 1 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh rosemary
- 1/4 cup fresh sage
- 2 tbs fresh thyme
- zest of 1/2 a lemon
- salt and pepper
- garlic powder
- Three tbs olive oil – divided
- 4 tbs butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
- Take the pork out of the package and pat it dry with a paper towel
- Dust the tenderloin with salt, pepper, and garlic on all sides
- Chop the herbs (parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme), and combine them with the lemon zest and two tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl
- Pour the remaining tablespoon of olive oil into a medium skillet and heat over medium high
- When the oil is simmering, place the seasons tenderloin in the hot pan and sear for a minute on each side – just to get some color and lock in the flavor
- Remove the tenderloin to a piece of aluminum foil, and place the herb mixture over the top – pack leftover sprigs of herb around the outsides of the meat, and top with the pads of butter
- Place the foil into the skillet or onto a baking tray, and place in the oven
- Bake for 15 minutes, and check the temperature of the meat- mine was around 120 in the thickest part of the meat after 15 minutes
- Check for doneness every 5 minutes or so, since the pork will be sitting in butter, you don’t need to be very worried about it drying out – mine took about 35 minutes total in the oven
- Remove pork from the oven once it’s reached an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, and allow for at least 3-5 minutes of resting time before slicing
- Serve with your favorite sides, such as rice or potatoes, or a nice side of Brussels sprouts or grilled or baked asparagus
Images:
Love, Food & Beer 