Roasted Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin

This is a deliciously simple way to prepare pork tenderloin. If you’re trying to cut out a few calories, I find that the fresh herbs give enough flavor that a sauce isn’t always necessary. A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil will do the trick! Side-dish pairings are fun to choose since the herb flavors are universally suitable for anything from roasted veggies to steamed potatoes, glazed carrots, grilled seasonal vegetables, creamy risotto or polenta, hearty pilaf, etc…

Ingredients – Serves 4

1 lb. pork tenderloin
1 bunch fresh sage leaves
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
5 sprigs fresh thyme
5-6 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 tsp. aged balsamic vinegar
sea salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

Rinse herbs, gently dry with clean kitchen towel and then remove sage, rosemary and thyme leaves from the stems (save stems for future use as bouquet garni in soups, stocks, etc.).Finely chop the herbs. In a bowl, combine chopped herbs with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Rub herb mixture onto the tenderloin.

Place bay leaves on roasting pan in a sparse layer and put tenderloin on top.

Roast at 350 degrees for 30 min. or until desired doneness. Remove from oven, cover pork with foil and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Buon appetito!