Since I first posted this pork recipe last January, I’ve probably prepared it half a dozen times (which is record-breaking for me). It’s just that good. It’s hard to find a leaner, juicer, more tender cut of meat. And one  that’s bursting with this much flavor (lemon, garlic, thyme, and rosemary). If you’re thinking that the ingredient amounts look strange (like 1/3 of a lemon), they are. Sorry about that. I reduced the original recipe which called for enough marinade for 3 pork tenderloins. There’s only two of us here and that would be way too much pork, no matter how delicious it is.

1/26/10: This was my juiciest, most flavorful roasted pork tenderloin yet! It must have been the marinade. I’ve never marinated a tenderloin before and it really made a difference! I usually buy thicker cuts of pork (which are technically “tenderloin roasts”) but this time I bought a true tenderloin (long and thin), which allowed for a shorter cooking time and consequently, moister meat. The herbs infused their subtle flavor and the outside had a irresistible crunchy crust from pan-searing. Really, it was wonderful. Another Barefoot Contessa recipe that was a complete success!

Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. pork tenderloin
1/3 lemon, zested
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/6 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, minced
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
3/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. To make the marinade, in a shallow dish whisk to combine the lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Place the pork tenderloin in a resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and turn to coat. Marinate for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight (I let mine marinate for 8 hours and it was extremely flavorful!).

2. Preheat oven to 400 F.

3. Heat 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the pork tenderloin from the bag and discard the marinade. Sprinkle the pork generously with salt and pepper. Sear the pork in the preheated skillet until brown on all sides.

4. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until an instant read thermometer reads 137 F in the thickest part. (This was Ina’s recommendation, but I found mine to be a bit underdone at this point. You be the judge of how done you want it. Ever so slightly pink is ideal. My tenderloin took about 20-25 minutes to finish cooking. We usually remove it from the oven when it’s between 142-145 F.) When done, transfer to a plate and tent with foil. Let sit 10 minutes before slicing.

Serves 2.

(Adapted from Food Network)