It’s no secret that I am not a fan of pork chops. Pork tenderloin, on the other hand, I do actually like. It’s a great cut of meat that is easy to make and always comes out tender. (I guess that’s why they it called pork tenderloin!)
I based this recipe off of this one. I had all of the ingredients in the house, which was an added plus. It was also a fast recipe to pull together. The meat was delicious and so tender! The balsamic was not overpowering at all, and there was just a hint of heat from the crushed red pepper.
I do have one confession: I used a teriyaki flavored pork tenderloin! It was completely unintentional. I didn’t even realize that I purchased a teriyaki one until I took it out of the fridge that night to cook. I have to admit, however, that it actually worked! (I will try the marinade on a plain tenderloin sometime in the future, though!)
Start with the marinade for the pork…
- Mince up 5 cloves of garlic.
- Place the garlic in a bowl.
- Add a couple tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.
- Pour in a couple tablespoons of EVOO.
- Measure out about ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. I cracked mine onto a cutting board until it looked like I had the right amount.
- Transfer the black pepper to the bowl.
- Add the same amount of salt.
- Give everything a quick mix.
- Then, sprinkle in a little bit of crushed red pepper flake (or a lot if you like things spicy!).
- Whisk to combine everything.
- Place a teriyaki pork tenderloin in the marinade.
- Turn the tenderloin to coat on all sides.
- Let the pork marinate for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 400°.
- Preheat an oven safe skillet over high heat.
- Coat the bottom of the skillet with canola oil.
- Add the pork tenderloin to the skillet.
- Sear on all sides. (This will help seal the juices into the pork.)
- Transfer the skillet to the oven.
- Cook for about 20-25 minutes, turning the tenderloin every so often.
- After about 20 minutes, insert a thermometer into the pork and see if it measures 160°. (If it does, remove it from the oven. If it doesn’t, put it back in for a few more minutes.)
- Let the pork rest for about 10 minutes.
- Slice the pork on a cutting board.
Serve the pork with whatever vegetable you’d like. I made Balsamic Haricots Verts (recipe coming soon!). Enjoy!
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Garlic-Balsamic Pork Tenderloin (serves 4)
INGREDIENTS:
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flake
- 1¼ pound pork tenderloin
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
DIRECTIONS:
- Combine the garlic, vinegar, olive oil, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flake in a bowl.
- Whisk to combine.
- Place the tenderloin in the bowl.
- Turn to coat on all sides.
- Let the pork marinate for about 30 minutes, turning every so often.
- Preheat your oven to 400°.
- Heat the canola oil in an oven safe skillet over high heat.
- Place the tenderloin in the skillet.
- Sear on all sides.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping a few times, until the temperature of the pork reaches 160°.
- Remove the pork from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.
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