PREP TIME: 5 MINS | COOK TIME: 30 MINS | SERVINGS: 4 – 6
This outrageously delicious with bursting with flavour baked pork tenderloin is seriously the best! The melt-in-your-mouth pork and the tempting herb butter are to die for! It’s a fancy dish perfect for any occasion yet just takes less than sixty minutes to make.
INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp butter sliced into 6 pads
1 pkg. pork tenderloins, trimmed (comes with 2 pieces, 2 – 2 ½ pounds total)
2 tbsp brown sugar
4 c. warm water
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 c. ice cubes
1/4 c. kosher salt
SPICE MIX:
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 teaspoon EACH salt, onion powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tablespoon EACH chilli powder, garlic powder
TO ADD LATER:
1/2 teaspoon EACH dried parsley, dried basil, dried oregano, dried thyme
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BAKED PORK TENDERLOIN
Step 1: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 400 degrees F. On a baking sheet, lay two pieces of long foil.
Step 2: Place the salt in a gallon-size freezer bag with warm water. Shake until the salt has dissolved, then add the apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and ice. Mix again, then add the pork. Brine the pork for precisely 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the pork from the brine, rinse, and pat dry.
Step 3: In a small bowl, place the Spice Mix ingredients and mix until well blended, then evenly rub on the entire pork.
Step 4: In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil on medium-high heat. Add the pork tenderloin to the skillet once the oil is very hot and just smoking, then sear until golden on both sides. Work in batches if needed. When done, transfer the seared pork to foil.
Step 5: With the rest of the herbs (Add later ingredients: parsley, basil, oregano, thyme), evenly sprinkle the tops of the pork tenderloins and rub them onto the entire tenderloins. Now, drizzle every tenderloin with a tbsp lemon juice before topping each with 3 pads of butter. To fully enclose each tenderloin, bring the foil up to the sides.
Step 6: Place the tenderloin into the preheated oven and bake for about 15 to 25 minutes until the internal temperature of the pork reached between 145 to 150 degrees F (63 to 65 degrees C). When checking the temperature of the pork, carefully unwrap the foil. If it needs more time baking, wrap the pork back.
Step 7: So the steam can escape, loosen the foil once the pork is done. Allow the tenderloin to stand for at least 5 to 10 minutes before carving. To taste, season with more salt and pepper and serve with any accumulated butter sauce from the bottom of the foil. Enjoy!