Herb Crusted Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin is the hubby’s go-to meat when he is ready to cook for the month.  He enjoys it more than Chicken and the pricing per serving is about the same.  He has many ways he roasts, bakes and grills this meat, but encrusting the outside with herbs is his favorite way.

This recipe was adapted from the book Gourmet Meals from Crappy Little Kitchens by Jennifer Schaertl .  Since our kitchen is a galley style apartment kitchen that two people can barely stand in at the same time. I could not resist the book title when I saw it and the recipes are great.  Check it out: http://www.crappylittlekitchens.com/

In my adaptation we used a Backyard Patch Herb Seasoning blend Do-It-All Seasoning.  We also used a combination of apricot jelly and dried apricots.

Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin

• 1/3 cup Backyard Patch Do-It-All Seasoning
• 1 whole pork tenderloin, about a pound
• Sea salt to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1 pound dried apricots, quartered
• 3 tablespoons Backyard Patch Do-It-All Seasoning
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 1/3 cup of seasonings in a small bowl and set aside. Season the pork with salt and pepper. In another bowl, combine the apricots with the 3 Tbls. Do It All Seasonings. Place the pork on the cutting board. Insert your bread knife into the short end of the tenderloin. Hold the pork steady with one hand lying flat on top of it, and carefully slice through the center of the pork lengthwise, creating a tunnel of sorts.

2. Stuff the seasoned apricot pieces into one end of the tenderloin tunnel until they start coming out the other side. Store any leftover stuffing in an airtight container in the fridge, and it will stay good for a week. Completely cover the outside of the pork with the herb mixture.

3. Place your 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat (any higher and you will burn your herbs) and add the olive oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, carefully place the tenderloin in the pan. Allow it to brown for 1 minute, and then turn it slightly. Repeat this until the tenderloin is brown all the way around, and then place it in the oven to finish cooking for 15 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

4. Carefully remove the tenderloin from the pan and place it on a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes. Then cut the tenderloin into 1/4-inch disks.

5. Serve with roasted vegetables.