{Recipe} Sear Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Pork tenderloin that is first seasoned with thyme and clementine zest then seared in a hot pan to create a perfect crust before heading into the oven to roast is a perfect weekend main dish.
In the winter months, I find that I want to make dishes that seem more complicated yet bring a lot to the table - so to speak. I'm talking about a flavorful dish that my family says they'd like to enjoy again and again.
When I was paging through my All About Roasting Cookbook, my plan was to find something that would roast for a couple of hours in the oven leaving a beautiful scent of dinner wafting through the house. This cookbook is ideal for that kind of meal, but it also has many "short roasting" dishes as well. Which is what this recipe is... a short roast after searing the tenderloin in a hot pan.
I have friends who talk about roasted pork tenderloin like it is the best meal in the world... so, I decided it was time to give it a try. It seems like we eat so much of the same proteins that I really don't venture into pork all that often. We smoke baby back ribs every summer, which is amazing but I have never had much luck with pork chops... so, I tend to walk past that section in the grocery store.
This recipe appealed to me because it can be varied and there are many different herb and seasoning combinations that would work well with it. Also, I really wanted to learn how to get a nice sear on a piece of meat... you know the kind where it results in a nice caramelized crust that just looks pretty when it comes out of the pan?
Well, I think I managed to make it happen! It takes a lot more patience that I normally have when I'm doing stove-top cooking. I like to move the food around more like a sauté which is really not the point when you are searing something. My Husband is much better at getting that nice crust on whatever protein is being seared than I am, but this time I did it!
Simple enough to prep the night before you want to make it - which is ideal because you want to let the seasonings have time to adhere to the meat - so that you can prepare it for dinner even on a weeknight. Not a 30 minute meal, but not too much longer than that either!
Ingredients
Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.
In the winter months, I find that I want to make dishes that seem more complicated yet bring a lot to the table - so to speak. I'm talking about a flavorful dish that my family says they'd like to enjoy again and again.
When I was paging through my All About Roasting Cookbook, my plan was to find something that would roast for a couple of hours in the oven leaving a beautiful scent of dinner wafting through the house. This cookbook is ideal for that kind of meal, but it also has many "short roasting" dishes as well. Which is what this recipe is... a short roast after searing the tenderloin in a hot pan.
I have friends who talk about roasted pork tenderloin like it is the best meal in the world... so, I decided it was time to give it a try. It seems like we eat so much of the same proteins that I really don't venture into pork all that often. We smoke baby back ribs every summer, which is amazing but I have never had much luck with pork chops... so, I tend to walk past that section in the grocery store.
This recipe appealed to me because it can be varied and there are many different herb and seasoning combinations that would work well with it. Also, I really wanted to learn how to get a nice sear on a piece of meat... you know the kind where it results in a nice caramelized crust that just looks pretty when it comes out of the pan?
Well, I think I managed to make it happen! It takes a lot more patience that I normally have when I'm doing stove-top cooking. I like to move the food around more like a sauté which is really not the point when you are searing something. My Husband is much better at getting that nice crust on whatever protein is being seared than I am, but this time I did it!
Simple enough to prep the night before you want to make it - which is ideal because you want to let the seasonings have time to adhere to the meat - so that you can prepare it for dinner even on a weeknight. Not a 30 minute meal, but not too much longer than that either!
Clementine and Thyme Rubbed Sear-Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon clementine zest
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil - or other neutral tasting oil
- Combine the thyme leaves, clementine zest, cumin, Aleppo pepper, salt and black pepper in a bowl.
- Pat the pork tenderloin dry, then rub the mixed ingredients to all sides. Place in a shallow dish in the refrigerator, loosely covered for 4 to 8 hours.
- Remove the pork tenderloin from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the oil to the pan. Add the pork and allow to sear - undisturbed - until brown on the bottom. Once the pork will easily release, repeat for the remaining sides.
- Place the seared pork in an aluminum foil covered jelly roll pan and place in the oven. Roast for 13-18 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 140-145 degrees.
- Allow to rest for about 10 minutes, then cut into 1/2 inch slices and serve.
Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.
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