ROASTED PORK TENDERLOIN
ROASTED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH APRICOTS AND CRANBERRIES
2-3 servings
Ingredients:
1.5 LB Pork tenderloin
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic (reduction, should be pretty thick)
2 cloves garlic
Fresh rosemary
Fresh thyme
1/2 cup dried apricots (chopped)
1/2 cup dried cranberries/cherries (chopped)
Salt
Pepper
The Blistered Peppers Take:
My parents separated when I was really young and naturally, dad’s don’t typically know how to cook. At least not well. And if they do, they have a few “speciality” dishes and those are served on repeat. For my dad, it was tri tip, beef tacos, and something we called ‘eggs and poop,’ but I’ll get to that at a later date. Not going to lie, the beef tacos were amazing! It was ground beef sauteed in pre-packaged taco seasoning, but my dad would then fry the tortillas himself to make fresh taco shells. And boy were those shells delicious! And drenched in oil!
Anyways, when my dad introduced us to his girlfriend - together for now over 15 years - she came in hot with some new “specialties.” One of which was this pork tenderloin. I don’t know if it was my obsession with dried apricots, or the side of freshly made homemade apple sauce, but I loved when she made this for dinner.
This tenderloin also got me over my fear of pork. Let’s be honest: when pork is called pork, almost everyone is timid. When it is called bacon or carnitas, suddenly we’re all on board. The flavor of this dish is super approachable and family-friendly.
Steps:
Thinly slice the garlic with a knife or mandolin. Prep the rosemary: remove the leaves from 3-4 bunches and throw out the stems. Repeat with 3-4 bunches of thyme. You should have about 1 tablespoon of rosemary leaves and 1 of thyme. Place pork tenderloin, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, balsamic, sliced garlic, rosemary & thyme leaves, and salt & pepper in a ziplock back. Let sit at room temp for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the apple sauce. Peel, core, and slice the apples about 1/4 inch thick. Place the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Next, lower the heat, cover and cook for about 15 minutes until the apples are soft. You can use a potato masher or blender, but the apples should be soft enough that you can even mash them with a fork. Remove from heat and let cool.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, chop the apricots and combine with cranberries in a medium bowl with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and salt & pepper.
Heat a bit of olive oil in a medium cast iron pan (or any oven safe pan!). Once the pan is hot, sear the pork tenderloin for about 2 minutes each side. Transfer to the oven and continue to cook for about 15-20 minutes - the meat should reach 145 internal temp. About 5 minutes before the meat has cooked through, top with dried fruit mixture and continue to roast.
If the meat cooks quicker than expected, remove it from the pan and let it cool on a cutting board. Next, add the dried fruit to the cast iron pan and let bake for 5 minutes, then add to top of the pork.
Allow the tenderloin to cool before slicing. Serve with the dried fruit and warmed (or cooled!) apple sauce. Viola!
