Friday, August 27, 2010

From My Kitchen: Pork Tenderloin Rafael


Every week our newspaper runs some new recipes. I often pull a few out to try, though it's sometimes a couple of months before I get around to it! This one was published way back in May. And I just made it last weekend.

It was so good that I am sorry I didn't make it sooner.

I know you're thinking that pork tenderloin takes a while to make, and you don't have time for this dish. Believe me, you do! It takes just 30 minutes.

You need 10 minutes after seasoning to let the meat soak up the delicious flavors of garlic and rosemary. And your cooking time is only 10-12 minutes, thanks to a good searing before baking, plus another 10 minutes of resting covered in foil. I was sure that wouldn't be enough. I expected the tenderloin to be underdone when I cut it. It wasn't. It was moist and tender and cooked to perfection.

The combination of simple ingredients: rosemary, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper made a fast, easy and delicious dish that is company-worthy. I served it up with a green salad and oven-roasted potates and carrots, since I had to use the oven anyway.

This comes courtesy of Rafael Mendoza, chef for an auto racing team. Here's the recipe:

Pork Tenderloin Rafael
2 cloves chopped garlic (I used the pre-chopped in the jar.)
1/4 C. olive oil
2 pounds pork tenderloin
2 sprigs rosemary, stripped and chopped (I used 2 tsp. dried.)
Kosher salt
Fresh-ground black pepper

In a small bowl, mix garlic and olive oil. Trim tenderloins of any fat or sinew and discard. Drizzle garlic oil over the tenderloin, reserving a little for serving, and rub in on all sides. Sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper. Let the pork rest for 10 minutes. You could do this prep work a few hours or even the night before, which would let you turn out this fabulous dish in just 20 minutes, making you look even more amazing!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Meanwhile, preheat large skillet to high heat. Sear the pork tenderloin on all sides. I cut my tenderloin into two pieces so it would fit well in the pan and I could sear it really well, about a minute or so per side, browning it a bit. When tenderloin is completely seared, place in a large baking dish or on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover in foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice thin, drizzle with remaining garlic oil and serve.

Mmmmm! Really simple and seriously delicious. Impress someone you love with a little Pork Tenderloin Rafael soon.

Enjoy!

© Trippin' Mama 2010

1 comment:

Kika said...

I'll try that recipes.. thanks.. hehe..