The Best Garlic Baked Pork Tenderloin **

The Best Garlic Baked Pork Tenderloin recipe - delicious easy melt in your mouth tender pork tenderloin in a buttery garlic sauce.  The first time I made this, I told my family that I will never cook it any other way!!  SOOOOO moist and delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp celtic sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
• 2 lb pork tenderloin, optional: pre-marinate pork before cooking
• 4 tbsp butter, sliced into 4-6 pats
• 2 tbsp diced garlic
• 1 tsp dried basil*
• 1 tsp dried oregano*
• 1 tsp dried thyme*
• 1 tsp dried parsley*
• ½ tsp dried sage*
• *OR 2 tbsp Italian Herb Seasoning Blend

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line baking sheet with aluminum foil.

In a small bowl, combine garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, and sage. Set aside.

Generously season meat with salt and pepper.

In a large pan, heat oil until shimmery.

Add to pan, and cook on all sides until dark golden brown.

Transfer to baking sheet.

Generously coat with herb mix.

Place pats of butter on top of the pork.

Wrap in foil, bake until meat is 145 degrees internally at the widest, thickest part of the tenderloin (about 25 minutes.)

When pork has come to temperature, remove and let rest, tented with foil, for at least five minutes to lock in juices.

Slice against the grain and serve immediately.

NOTES:

Marinate before cooking. Marinating or brining a tenderloin before cooking will always help to soften the meat and keep it from drying out. I love using a bottle of simple Italian Dressing or a cup of olive oil with some lemon juice, salt, and pepper for an easy overnight marinade. I'm not calling for marinade in this specific recipe because we're wrapping it in foil and slathering it in butter so it cooks in its own sort of gravy (I designed this recipe to taste great even if you didn't remember to marinate) - if you'd like to kick your dinner up a bit, or are trying a different technique, marinating makes this recipe taste even better.

Don't overcook. Pork dries out very quickly when overcooked - and the meat can become tough and very chewy. I pull my tenderloin at 140 degrees and tent with foil to continue carryover cooking as it rests for about 10 minutes before serving.

Remove silver skin. If your tenderloin has a large sliver skin (the tough, white membrane that is often trimmed off and removed by many grocers, but is sometimes still left on), you can remove it by making a small slit with a sharp knife and pulling the membrane off the tenderloin to remove before marinating and cooking. This process is just like removing silver skin from ribs.

Add different spices to your taste. I like to take these tips to make all sorts of flavor combinations in addition - you can make this recipe with all sorts of herbs and spices!

Brown before roasting. Get a good sear in a cast iron or heavy pan before baking. Getting a good sear first helps seal in the juices from the pork and brings a rich, caramelized flavor that makes this recipe irresistible! Searing meat before baking also helps it look less gray, giving it a much more appetizing appearance.

Let rest. Let meat rest for 5-10 minutes after removing from the oven to lock in the juices - don't cut too early, or they will all run out!

Cook to 145 degrees. The USDA set the guideline of 145 degrees as a safe temperature for pork consumption. This might look a touch pink - pink pork is no longer an indicator of "doneness", or that the tenderloin is unsafe to eat, as long as it has reached 145 degrees. Don't overcook out of fear and turn your dinner tough and dry!

Cooking to 145 means removing tenderloin from the oven at 140 degrees - as it will carryover cook the additional 5 degrees in the foil as you let it rest.

What temperature should I cook pork at?  This recipe calls for baking pork at 350 degrees in a foil pouch.  While this is lower than many roast pork recipes, it works with the pouch to keep your pork from drying out and staying tender and juicy!

Should I Use Fresh or Dried Herbs?  You can use either fresh or dried herbs in this recipe.   If using fresh, you might want to add a bit more, since dried herbs are more intense.

Can Pork Be Pink?  Pork can be slightly pink and fully safe to eat as long as it has reached 145 degrees internal temperature.

When is pork tenderloin done cooking?  Pork needs to reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees to remove the risk of foodborne illness, but this will sometimes still have a light pink color.

When should I take pork tenderloin out of the oven?  Remove baked pork tenderloin from the oven at 140 degrees as it will carryover cook to 145 degrees as it rests before serving.

How can I reheat pork?  Pork can be reheated in a foil pouch, baked in the oven at 350 degrees until it reached 140 degrees F.  It can also be pan fried with a little butter, or microwaved, to reheat.

Do I need to remove silver skin from pork tenderloin?  If your tenderloin has a large silver skin you may remove it, however, this method will give you tender pork regardless.

Source: sweetcsdesigns.com