Sundays with Friends: Getting Herb Crusted with Lisa

Today’s Sundays with Friends comes from another friend of Forrester Photography. We are pleased to have Lisa with us, sharing a new recipe for Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin that her family adores. Frankly, this looks like one I will be adoring very soon as well! Welcome to Sundays with Friends, Lisa!

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This past year I started taking cooking to a new level with many reasons behind my new adventure, one was I was sick of all the recipes I use on a continuous basis. With three children and trying to make one meal that satisfies all or at least everyone, is a job in itself! I started looking up recipes that contained typical meats that I knew me and my children enjoyed, when I came across the recipe I am going to share with you. The second reason I started this adventure was because of another hobby of mine, photography! I have a few friends who were posting pictures of meals they created or meats men were grilling on Facebook and thought, ok I need to join in on this, I consider myself a pretty good cook and usually what I cook looks good as well, and I can actually combine my two hobbies into one. So, back to my onset to find the perfect addition to our meal rotation, I went to a website where I found a picture of this beautiful Pork Tenderloin, it was love at first site! I went to the grocery store and bought all the ingredients in attempts to create this masterpiece. Little did I know at the time that this would be my absolute favorite entree!

This delicious meat, from Paula Deen, has your mouth watering way before it ever hits the palate, the aroma of this dish alone has your senses dancing in the anticipation for a mere taste of this creation. This is a dish that not only is the best entree I’ve fixed for my family, but one of the easiest! This is a recipe that will wow your friends and family and could make you look like a gourmet chef! I serve this recipe to many a friend and always receive raves! This is a perfect recipe to serve on holidays or in a regular rotation of menu’s.

Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin

• 1 (4-pound) boneless pork loin, with fat left on
  1 tablespoon salt
  2 tablespoons olive oil
  4 cloves garlic, minced
  1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
  1 teaspoon dried basil or 2 teaspoons fresh basil leaves
  1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
2. Place the pork loin on a rack in a roasting pan. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. With your fingers, massage the mixture onto the pork loin, covering all of the meat and fat.
3. Roast the pork for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 425 degrees F and roast for an additional hour. Test for doneness using an instant-read thermometer. When the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F, remove the roast from the oven. Allow it to sit for about 20 minutes before carving. It will continue to cook while it rests.

Chef’s Notes:

Now, I use a pork loin instead of tenderloin. I follow the cooking instructions except, I usually don’t do the last part of the timed amount, because the smell generally let’s me know when it is done! I also have turned the last time down to 350 and just cooked it longer when I have other things to do such as shower before company and get ready. The high heat seal is important and is what gives it the crust. I also tend to use a bit more olive oil to get a good juice at the bottom and when i cut the roast, I use a spoon and coat the juices over the meat to add flavor into the meat. Also if you use a Loin instead of the tenderloin, remember the size is much larger so you’ll want to compensate by doubling the spices and all ingredients! I also have used a glass baking pan/Pyrex instead of the roasting pan, the mess is much easier, and I’ve never had any difference in the results for the change…one of the most important tips I do as well is I take a knife or fork and pierce the meat fairly deep so that the rub gets down into the meat. Bon Appetit!