Garlic Rosemary Pork Tenderloin
I know I've been bombarding you guys with sweet treats lately, so I decided to take a break and throw out something savory. This all started when my sister's boyfriend suggested I post a pork tenderloin recipe. But not only did he suggest this, he tried to sell the idea to me! It was like listening to a business pitch. He told me that my boyfriend would also like it because he likes lean meats. It was probably the most considerate pitch I've heard.
Davis, Kent is very thankful that you requested this because he got to eat pork tenderloin for about 3 days straight!
Not sure about you guys, but I've always been a bit hesitant to cook with pork. I was always told that pork needs to be cooked well-done for all the bacteria to die. Clearly, I have no culinary degree or experience outside of my own kitchen because a google search quickly told me that I was wrong. Guess pork tenderloin can be cooked medium rare and you'll still be solid! (Pun intended, sorry to ruin your appetite.) It all has to do with a bacteria called trichinae, which is generally killed off when pork reaches an internal temperature of 137°F. Even with this news though, I'm still apprehensive about cooking pork to a medium-rare. I feel like that's better left for the Michelin chefs. I'll stick to my medium; feel like pork is too chewy at medium-rare.
Also it should be noted that I used a sous vide for the pork tenderloin in the photos posted, but I'll include the oven-roasted recipe as well.
INGREDIENTS:
1 pork tenderloin, 1 lb. (Smithfield at your local grocery store is perfect)
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp salt
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 sprig rosemary
1 Tbsp olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS:
Sous Vide:
Generously season tenderloin with pepper and salt, place in a sealable bag or your food vacuum bag.
Mix remaining ingredients together in the same bag. Make sure tenderloin well saturated in mixture.
If you do not have a food vacuum, do the dunking method with your sealable bag to ensure most of the air is taken out of the bag.
Place sealed bag in the sous vide tub for approximately 1-4 hours at 140°F.
Pat dry the tenderloin before searing to ensure the best browning without overcooking your pork.
In a cast-iron skillet (or any skillet) on the stove over high heat, sear all sides for approximately 2-3 mins total with butter or oil (your preference). Serve warm and enjoy!*
Oven-roasted:
Generous season tenderloin with salt and pepper on all sides.
In a sealable bag, combine seasoned tenderloin and all remaining ingredients. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 200°F.
Place tenderloin on a roasting rack over a baking sheet/pan to catch drippings. Bake for 45 mins. Remove from the oven. You do not have to pat dry when you remove the tenderloin from the oven because it does not have very much moisture on the outside at this point.
Pan sear all sides for approximately 2-3 mins total. Serve warm and enjoy!*
*I like to throw some spare garlic and rosemary on the side of the pan so make a little sauce and base the tenderloin with as it's searing.