I am a huge fan of marinating meat or poultry for dinner. It always results in such a moist, flavorful entree that requires minimal effort. Ten minutes of prep time, throw it in the fridge, and forget it…you come home, and dinner is almost done. Talk about perfect for a weeknight meal! This dinner was not without hiccups though…this was our first time using the grill after a long winter and we had a little mishap that made this meal less than fantastic – but I can tell it would have been incredible otherwise, so I can’t wait to make it again!
The original recipe recommends grilling the pork, which is what we did. However, if you don’t have a grill or the weather isn’t agreeable, I find that baking the pork in a 9×13-inch baking dish at 375° F for 45-50 minutes works just as well. I typically pour the marinade in the dish as well to be sure that the meat doesn’t dry out while baking. I served this with roasted carrots and potatoes and they went nicely with the meal.
Herb-Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients:
Grated zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4-6 lemons)
1/2 cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grill
2 tbsp. minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 1/2 tbsp. minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
2 pork tenderloins, about 1 lb. each
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt in a sturdy 1-gallon Ziploc bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferable overnight.
When you are ready to cook the pork, heat a charcoal or gas grill. Brush the grate of the grill with oil to prevent the pork from sticking. Remove the meat from the marinade and discard the marinade. Sprinkle the tenderloins generously with salt and pepper. Grill the tenderloins, turning a few times to brown on all sides, for 15-25 minutes (depending on the temperature of the grill) until the meat registers 137 degrees F at the thickest part. Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve warm with the juices that collect on the platter.
Source: adapted from Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics by Ina Garten
