Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin is a protein we eat regularly in our house, and offers lots of versatility yet is easy to prepare.  Recently I have been using the same marinade, and wanted to venture out and try something a little different.  I found a Paula Deen recipe for Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin that sounded delicious.  

Essentially you combine several fresh herbs with olive oil and massage this onto the pork tenderloin.  I placed the herb rub on, and let the meat sit for 20 minutes or so before baking.  I used all fresh herbs, which I highly recommend.  I am not sure the end result would have been the same with dried.  This marinade would also be great on chicken.

Pork Tenderloin before going in the oven

Some modifications were required with this recipe.  While the title states it is for a tenderloin, if you read the ingredients more closely, you will see it calls for the pork loin, which is larger and includes the tenderloin.  If I had followed the prescribed instructions, I think the meat may have been over done and dry, which is a bad combination.  Instead, I baked at 425 degrees for 10 minutes (which could be extended to 15 minutes), and then decreased the temperature to 375 degrees for another 30-40 minutes (depending upon how well you want your pork cooked). 

This was a recipe where having a meat thermometer came in very handy.  I baked our tenderloin until it reached an internal temperature of 150 degrees, but may have been able to pull it out at 145 degrees.  It is important to let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes after coming out of the oven, which means it will continue to cook some.  If you don't have a thermometer, I definitely recommend investing in one as no one wants raw pork.  You can find very inexpensive ones in the kitchen section at Target.

All in all, this was a hit with the family.  Even better, we baked two tenderloins, and we are having the second one as a leftover tonight.   I'll post tomorrow about how you can change up your leftover tenderloin into yummy street tacos.