Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Steve and I particularly like pork tenderloin. It is a sweet tasting meat that goes with most things. Recently we had it sliced in pitas with homemade tzatziki, fresh lettuce from the garden and sliced tomatoes from Shirley’s. Unfortunately, Steve reacted poorly to the fresh mint, so I will cut and dry it for future use.
It is only 3 easy steps to cook but I made the mistake that the pan was too cool so the meat stuck and tore when I tried to turn it. We found 15 minutes was better for cooking time, which probably means I didn’t sear it for long enough on each side. Fortunately, seared meats leave flavorful pan drippings that can later be used to make gravy by “deglazing” the pan with some broth or wine (not cold); it also works well to clean the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof skillet over high heat and sear the pork on all sides.
- Place the skillet into the oven and roast the pork for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Let the meat rest for 5 minutes before cutting. Slicing on a diagonal, cut each tenderloin into 4 or 5 pieces.
Some valuable tips I learned (after the fact) are:
- let the meat stand at room temperature (about 30 minutes)
- pat dry, especially if in a package or marinade (to prevent splatter of the oil) and then season with salt & pepper
- let the meat sear for a few minutes (longer for roasts, shorter for cubes or steaks)
Happy eating!
