Saturday was the scene of Occupy Chex Mix at my house — an operation that takes over every inch of counter space as well as the oven, for hours. At 4:30, I was only half done. So, supper plans had to be simple. With a pork tenderloin in hand, I was in search of a quick recipe for the oven (And why not the oven? It had already been on for 4 hours working hard for the Chex Mix. To be honest, I have been glutting myself on propane ever since we got our post-Thanksgiving delivery…)
Pork tenderloin is great because it is a lower fat cut of meat that cooks up quickly, and is amenable to all kinds of flavor combos. You can do a sweet/spicy combo, a robust coffee/spice mixture like this, or an Asian based ginger-soy flavor. Marinating is a great way to infuse the meat with flavor, but if you don’t have that kind of time, a dry rub of spices works well. With that idea in mind, I found a tasty recipe on the Food Network and got it started.
You put together the five rub ingredients, and press into the meat…
Brown it in a bit of olive oil in a skillet…
Then finish it off in the oven for 20 minutes.
The whole family enjoyed it, all in their own way. One dipped it in barbecue sauce, another in Parmesan cheese, and all gave it a thumbs up. All the flavor was there, and the meat was tender and moist. Don’t know what to make tonight? Give this a try. You can get this on the table in about 40 minutes start to finish. Just get the meat started, then get your veggies and potato prepped while it is browning. Pop it in the oven to finish, and get the sides started on the stove top, and everything will be ready at about the same time. Dinner? Done.
Savory Pork Tenderloin
Serves 6
Adapted from Ellie Krieger’s recipe on the Food Network
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt
1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin
1 tablespoon olive oil
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
1) In a small bowl mix together garlic powder, oregano, cumin, thyme and salt. Stir until well combined. Sprinkle the rub over the tenderloin, then rub the pork gently to ensure the seasoning adheres to all sides of the meat.
2) Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Put tenderloin in the pan and cook for about 5 minutes per side, searing the meat evenly. Transfer meat to a roasting pan and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and let it sit for 10 minutes. Slice and serve, using the juices from the pan to drizzle over the top of the meat.
Enjoy!
Making this tonight – I’ll let you know how it goes! THANKS JULES!
omg – SERIOUSLY delicious!! Moist, flavorful and GONE!!
I did this tonight. Thanks for another simple, easy and quick recipe. No fancy ingredients or a degree of CIA 🙂 Nice hot meal in under 40 min. awww!
You’re welcome! Glad you liked it. All of us in the Three Kids Club know — simple and easy is the way to go!!
This is the kind of meal that works for my kiddos! 3 food groups, nothing touching anything else (ahem, that broccoli *is* touching the other stuff a little bit; it needs to scootch over), and quick to get on the table. Yummy AND practical for a wide range of ages and palates. 🙂