Now that the holidays are behind us, I can get back to regularly scheduled programming: easy, healthy dishes with familiar ingredients made in a new way. Truth be told, it’s my favorite way to cook, and my favorite type of recipe to share because it’s how we eat on a daily basis.
I love cooking with pork tenderloin, it’s lean, cooks quickly, and lends itself well to so many flavor combinations. Sometimes I use a quick marinade, like the one I use for my Miso Teriyaki Chicken. Sometimes I serve it simply with a romesco sauce or homemade cherry or pear chutney.
Most often, however, I raid my refrigerator for veggies, herbs, nuts, and fruits and make a combination that fits the season. Similar to beef tenderloin, if you start with quality meat and season it well, unless you overcook it it’ll be quite tender and tasty without much effort. It cooks quickly, as well, making it ideal for a weeknight dinner, especially with some rice or potatoes such as my Crispy Salt & Vinegar Smashed Potatoes.
“What else can I use?”
- You can use pork loin, lamb loin, or even chicken breasts or thighs for this dish, just adjust the cooking time as needed.
- If you don’t have rosemary, you can use thyme or sage, or use a large pinch of dried herbs for the pork.
- If you can’t get persimmons, use apple or pear in place of them… the results will be similar.
This pork dish is so fast, easy, and flavorful that I’ll make a version of it many times through the cold months. I hope you do too.
Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Persimmon and Rosemary
Equipment
- large oven safe saute pan
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs pork tenderloin
- 2 ripe persimmons, sliced into thin half moons
- 1/2 yellow onion, sliced into large chunks
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat a large, oven safe cast iron or saute pan over medium-high heat.
- Remove leaves from two sprigs of rosemary and chop.
- Coat the pork tenderloin liberally with salt, pepper, chopped rosemary, and 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to the hot pan, then add the onion around the edges.
- Transfer the pork and sear for 3-5 minutes until deeply caramelized.
- Turn the pork over, add the sliced persimmon to the pan, mixing with the onions.
- Top with another tablespoon of olive oil, large pinch of salt, and remaining rosemary sprigs.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 15-25 minutes depending on thickness, until cooked to your liking. I prefer a medium-well interior for pork tenderloin so I cook to 150-155 degrees F.
- Let the pork rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
- Serve with rice, potatoes, or greens. Enjoy!
Made this last night, it was so very delicious. The flavor combination of onions and persimmons was just perfect!