Heather says:
Here’s another recipe from the National Pork Board’s Good and Good for You Challenge. This roast pork tenderloin with winter greens and caramelized* onions comes together quickly and would make a great weeknight meal. With a little creativity and the right sides, like this morning’s Hasselback potatoes, it’d be good for a healthy, simple company dinner that doesn’t have a huge time investment.
Roast Pork Tenderloin with Winter Greens
Recipe courtesy of the National Pork Board
- 1 pork tenderloin ~ 1 lb
- 1/4 tsp salt, divided
- fresh ground pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced.
- 1 lb kale or other winter greens, tough stems removed
- 1/2 cup chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 TBSP red wine vinegar
Directions For Roast Pork Tenderloin with Winter Greens
Preheat the oven to 425F.
Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. If your skillet is thin, do not heat until after the tenderloin is ready.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and rub the pork tenderloin with 1/8th tsp salt, fresh ground pepper, and minced garlic.
Add 2 tsp of olive oil and then the pork to your hot skillet and brown on all sides (3 – 4 minutes).
Remove the pork tenderloin from the pan and place it on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the 425F oven and cook until the tenderloin reaches 145F ~ 12 minutes.
Add the onions and remaining 2 tsps of olive oil and the sliced onions to your hot skillet. Cover and cook until the onions soften and just start to brown. Add the kale, chicken stock, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and some fresh ground pepper. Cover and cook, occasionally stirring, until the kale is tender, about 5 minutes.
If, after 5 minutes there is lots of liquid in the pan, cook uncovered until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the 1 TBSP red wine vinegar and remove from the heat.
When the pork tenderloin reaches 145F, cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 3 – 5 minutes.
Slice the pork tenderloin into medallions and serve with the kale and onions.
Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
Cooking time: 15 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 4
Culinary tradition: USA (General)
Calories: 240
Fat: 8 grams
Protein: 29 grams
Enjoy!
*Generally, when the term caramelized is associated with onions, it implies a long, slow cook over low heat. The onions in the recipe aren’t so much caramelized as cooked.
The National Pork Board sponsored this post, I was provided with recipes and compensated for the purchase of ingredients. All opinions are my own.
You post these things just to torment me, don’t you? Such a mean person.
@carnellm inspire, torment, I mean they are spelled differently but practically the same thing. . .
I like my pork loin with a bit more color than this recipe provides. Marinating overnight with a mix including the onions and some soy sauce is one way; crusting with a spice that imparts color, like turmeric, zatar, or chili powder is another. Lastly, and I suppose this is the southerner in me, I just itch to pour on some pan drippings or even better, some red eye gravy!
@KeterMagick Oh I absolutely agree with your sentiment. The recipe was provided by the National Pork Board, so I felt obligated to follow it to the letter. I did find it a little odd that on the pork site, they mention -as I did in Friday’s post- that tenderloin is best with rub’s and or marinades.
THAT said, I know lots of people who hate strongly flavored foods (Hello, Minnesota, lookin’ at y’all) and for them, I bet this recipe is a winner. (How many times did patrons ask, “Now, does this fish taste like fish?”)
As most of you know, I’m not normally a to-the-letter cook. Almost every recipe on this site, unless it is directly attributed to a source has been significantly changed from where I happened to first stumble upon it.