Have I mentioned how much I love pork tenderloin? It is one of my favorite cuts of meat. It is so naturally tender and juicy and so easy to prepare! It is also affordable, which is nice. This dish is easy enough for a weeknight, but special enough for a nice weekend dinner. The pork marinates all night or all day, and then is prepared totally in a cast iron skillet! It starts on the stove and finishes in the oven! The marinade turns into a wonderful glaze! I served it with mashed sweet potatoes and sauteed veggies. This was so tender and tasty, I cannot wait for you to try it!
Here's what you need:
1 pack of pork tenderloin (2 tenderloins)
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T finely chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 T dijon mustard
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 t salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
1/4 t ground red pepper
Mix all of the ingredients except the tenderloin in a mixing bowl. Place the tenderloin in a baking dish, and pour the marinade over it, coating all sides. Marinate all day or all night (at least 6 hours). When it has marinated, preheat the oven to 375. Place a cast iron skillet, or heavy, oven-proof skillet, on the stove and heat 1 T or so of olive oil. When it is hot, carefully remove the tenderloin from the marinade, getting off any excess marinade, and place it in the skillet. Brown it on each side to get a nice color. Spoon the marinade on top of the tenderloin, pouring it all in the skillet. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer for about ten minutes, flipping it over at least once. Cover it loosely with foil and place in the oven. Cook about 5 minutes, and baste the top of the tenderloin to glaze. Remove the foil and cook in the oven about 10-15 minutes more, or until the internal temperature reaches 145 in the fattest part. Remove the skillet from the oven and cover loosely with the foil again and allow it to rest for a few minutes. Slice into medallions and serve! This was quite a treat! I had enough leftover for a couple of meals ready for lunches too! Enjoy!