What I love about this recipe is how the flavors dance together while the pork is roasting and how few ingredients are required to make this dish special. My dad used a similar technique for lamb, stuffing sliced garlic into the meat, to absorb the flavors. Of course, I can’t go anywhere without rosemary – one of my favorite herbs for pork. Finally, using a pan with water in the oven is an excellent trick to keep the meat moist – extra moisture always helps.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 2 pound pork tenderloin
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp rosemary
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp coarse salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Set a pan half full of water on the bottom rack (small baking pan will do the job). The water that evaporates in the oven will keep your tenderloin moist.
2. Wash and dry the pork tenderloin.
3. Slice 3-4 garlic cloves in half or quarter, so you get small (but not too thin) wedges.
4. Make half-inch-deep cuts on the top of tenderloin, going every inch or so. Gently slide a garlic wedge in each one.
5. Lightly brush the top of tenderloin with olive oil. Sprinkle oregano, rosemary and kosher salt over the top generously.
6. Place the roast on the top rack in the oven at 425F for 15 minutes.
7. Lower the temperature to 325F, lower the tenderloin to the middle rack and cook another 30-40 minutes (20 minutes per pound). Check with a meat thermometer – pork is done at 155, depending on how rare you like it.
8. Once you remove the tenderloin from the oven, let it rest 10-15 minutes, covered with tinfoil. Remember, pork’s temperature will go up a little as it’s resting, so don’t overcook.
