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This garlic rosemary pork tenderloin recipe is tasty on its own but put over the top with an easy shallot red wine sauce.
Pork is just so versatile - from pork medallions with blue cheese sauce to Dr Pepper pulled pork to cider beer braised pork tacos to oven roasted pulled pork to smoked pork tenderloin. You can utilize the different cuts in so many ways.
But today is about herb crusted pork tenderloin, which I feel like tends to be forgotten in the pork world, especially by me. It is actually a very tender protein that is packed with flavor. Compared to other parts of the pig, it is extremely low in fat, about as lean as chicken breasts.
But what makes this rosemary pork tenderloin so great is how easy it is to prepare. While you can just roast the pork, you get more flavor by searing it first before throwing it in the oven. Searing meat builds flavor, adds a crust and helps keeps the juices inside when it cooks.
While the herbs and garlic go great together, it is the red wine sauce that helps this rosemary pork tenderloin come together. So if you are looking for an healthy but delicious meal that is quick to come together, look no further.
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Recipe Ingredients
- Pork tenderloin - use two 1 lb pieces or one large 2 lb.
- Olive oil - used to cook sear the tenderloin and add flavor.
- Rosemary and thyme - fresh herbs that pair perfectly with pork.
- Sea salt and black pepper - enhances the flavor of the herb pork tenderloin.
- Shallots and garlic - the base for the red wine sauce.
- All-purpose flour - helps thicken the sauce.
- Dry red wine - a quality dry red wine is important to use.
- Low-sodium chicken stock - can also use low-sodium chicken broth if preferred.
- Honey - adds a slight sweetness to the sauce.
- Unsalted butter - emulsifies the sauce, giving it a thick, velvety texture.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Coat the pork with olive oil, rosemary, thyme, salt, and black pepper.
- Heat an ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven over high heat. Sear the pork for 2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10-15 minutes at 350°F or when a thermometer inserted in the middle of the pork reaches 150°F. Remove it from oven and cover with aluminum foil while you make sauce.
- In the same skillet, add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots and cook for 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Add wine and chicken stock and cook over high heat for 5 minutes, or until it has reduced by half. Stir in honey and taste. Adjust for seasoning. Whisk in butter and cook until melted.
- Slice pork and serve sauce over it.
Differences Between Pork Tenderloin and Pork Loin
While they both contain the word pork in it, the tenderloin and loin are different.
- Cut of Meat
- Pork tenderloin looks like a long roll and comes from the loin.
- Pork loin is much wider and longer and comes from the back of the pig
- Size
- Pork tenderloin is usually 1-2 lbs.
- Pork loin is around 3-5 lbs.
- Texture
- The tenderloin gets its name for being one of the more tender cuts of pork.
- Loin is much tougher and needs to be cooked longer to get tender.
Key to Juicy Roasted Pork Tenderloin
While you'll hear a variety of factors to juicy pork from brining to marinated, you can skip those methods. The most important key is to sear the pork for 2 minutes on each side.
Searing the pork gives you a crust that encases the juices so they don't leak out when cooked.
Cook Times
Just like beef, everyone likes pork at different temperatures. However for it to be safe to consume, USDA guidelines state that pork should reach an internal temperature of at least 145°F. But you don't want to overcook it either. Anywhere from 145°F to 160°F should work.
A digital meat thermometer is a wise investment and makes it much easier to know the temperature. However you need to keep in mind, once you remove the tenderloin from the oven, the temperature will rise another 5°F or so. Removing the pork at the temperatures below will result in the below:
- 145°F – will rise to 150°F – slices will be somewhat pink and moist.
- 150°F – will rise to 155°F – slices will be a little pink and moist.
- 160°F – will rise to 165°F – slices will not be pink but still should be relatively moist.
Side Dish Options
The beauty of this roasted pork tenderloin is it goes with pretty much everything. To me the perfect marriage is goat cheese polenta, however you can mix it up with sides like:
FAQs
Yes. Silverskin becomes very chewy and tough when cooked. Luckily, most tenderloins are pre-trimmed these days so you probably won't have to do it.
However it it isn't skinned, use a sharp knife and slip between the silver skin and the meat to slice away.
I mention it above but if you have a meat thermometer use it. Otherwise you'll have to slice into the pork and the pinker it is, the rarer it is. My go to is 150°F.
Use quality dry red wine that you’d be willing to drink. The flavor of the sauce comes from the wine. Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir are best.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Searing the pork is important in keeping it juicy and tender. You don't need to sear longer than 2 minutes per side.
- Use fresh herbs. If you only have dried herbs, it is much stronger so use 1 teaspoon dried rosemary and ½ teaspoon dried thyme.
- Let the tenderloin rest for 5 minutes before slicing which lets the juices stay inside.
Other Pork Recipes
- Crispy Pork Carnitas
- Autumn Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies
- Salvadoran Pupusas
- Cuban Mojo Pulled Pork Tacos
- Homemade Meatballs
If you’ve tried this rosemary pork tenderloin or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Rosemary Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork tenderloin
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 shallots, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dry red wine
- ⅓ cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat pork tenderloin with olive oil, rosemary, thyme, salt, and black pepper.
- Heat an ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven over high heat. Add pork and sear for 2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned.
- Transfer the pork to the oven and roast for 10-15 minutes or when a thermometer inserted in the middle of the pork reaches 150°F. Remove pork from oven and cover with aluminum foil while you make sauce.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to same skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook for 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Add wine and chicken stock and cook over high heat for 5 minutes, or until it has reduced by half. Stir in honey and taste. Adjust for seasoning. Whisk in butter and cook until melted.
- Slice pork and serve sauce over it.
Notes
- Searing the pork is important in keeping it juicy and tender. You don't need to sear longer than 2 minutes per side.
- Use fresh herbs. If you only have dried herbs, it is much stronger so use 1 teaspoon dried rosemary and ½ teaspoon dried thyme.
- Use quality dry red wine that you’d be willing to drink. The flavor of the sauce comes from the wine. Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir are best.
- Do not overcook the pork as it becomes very dry so use a meat thermometer to get the temperature you want.
- Let the tenderloin rest for 5 minutes before slicing which lets the juices stay inside.
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