Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary and Garlic

Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary and Garlic is a roasted pork dish with a fresh herb crust and a juicy pink center. You start with the leanest cut of pork, brine it, rub it with rosemary, garlic, olive oil, and pepper, sear it, and finish it in the oven. That is the whole thing. The reason this Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary and Garlic recipe comes out juicy and not dry like most tenderloin recipes is the brine. Most people skip it. I did too for a long time. Then I tried it once and the difference was too obvious to go back.

I usually serve it with creamy mashed potato and steamed broccoli. That is the plate in my house. The mashed potato catches the juices. The broccoli sits on the side and does its job.

Steps are below. Brine, rub, sear, oven, rest. Do not skip the rest. That one is important.

What is Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary and Garlic?

It is a roasted pork dish using the tenderloin, which is the long, lean muscle that runs along the pig’s backbone. The seasoning is simple. Fresh rosemary, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper. The style is European, common in Italian home cooking where rosemary and garlic grow everywhere and get used on almost every roast.

Tenderloin is not the same cut as pork loin. That confuses a lot of people, and it matters here because the cooking times are completely different. Tenderloin is the narrow one, maybe a pound, sold in vacuum-sealed pairs in most American supermarkets. Pork loin is the big boneless roast that feeds eight people. If you grab the wrong one, this recipe will not work.

What you need to know going in: tenderloin is tender on its own, it cooks in about 25 minutes, and overcooking it by even five minutes turns it dry. That is why the thermometer and the rest matter so much here.

Why This Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary and Garlic Recipe Works

A few things about this recipe are worth knowing before you start.

• The brine. Salt, brown sugar, water, 90 minutes. That is it. The salt changes the muscle proteins so the meat holds water instead of pushing it out when it hits the oven. I think it is the biggest reason this dish turns out juicy when other tenderloin recipes do not.
• Run the rub through a food processor. Chopping rosemary by hand leaves it in pieces. Processing it releases the oils into the olive oil, and then you are rubbing flavored oil onto the meat, not just herbs. Big difference.
• Sear before the oven. The brown crust is where the flavor comes from. A pale tenderloin pulled straight out of the oven tastes flat.
• 145°F, not higher. Pull it at 140, let carryover heat finish the last few degrees while it rests. The center will be pink. That is safe and that is how it is supposed to look.
• Rest it. Ten minutes on the cutting board. If you slice early, the juices end up on the board instead of inside the meat. Wait.

Ingredients

• Pork tenderloin – The long, skinny cut, usually about a pound each. Sold in pairs at most grocery stores.

Brine ingredients:

• Brown sugar – Softens the salt, adds a little sweetness.
• Salt – Regular table salt or kosher works. This is the worker in the brine.
• Water and ice cubes – Ice cools the brine fast so the pork goes in cold.

Rub ingredients:

• Fresh rosemary – Fresh sprigs, not dried. Dried works if that is all you have, but fresh is noticeably better.
• Garlic – Fresh cloves.
• Ground black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil

1. Combine the salt, brown sugar, and 1 cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl.

1. Microwave for 3 minutes, then stir until fully dissolved. Let it cool.

1. Pour the remaining 3 to 4 cups of water into a large bowl. Add the cooled salt mixture and the ice cubes. Stir.

1. Add the pork tenderloin. Let it sit for 90 minutes.

1. Pull it out of the brine. No rinsing.

Make sure the brine is actually cool before the pork goes in. If it is still warm from the microwave, it will start to cook the surface.

1. Put the rosemary, garlic, black pepper, and olive oil in a food processor.

1. Process until fine. Mortar and pestle works too.

1. Rub the mixture all over the tenderloin.

1. Let it sit for at least 1 hour at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate overnight.

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Heat a pan over medium-high. Sear the tenderloin on all sides until medium brown, around 2 to 3 minutes per side.

1. Move it to the oven. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until the internal temperature hits 145°F.

1. Rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Cast iron is ideal because you go stovetop to oven in the same pan. If you are cooking two tenderloins from one of those vacuum-sealed packs, use a pan big enough that they are not touching. Touching pieces steam instead of searing.

What to Serve with Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary and Garlic

• Oven Baked Potatoes – If you want something roasted instead of mashed.
• Garlic Mashed Potato – A lighter mash with straight garlic flavor.
• Steamed rice – If that is what you have. Rice works.
• Green salad – Mixed greens, lemon vinaigrette.

Storage

Leftovers hold up well. The brine helps here too. Because the meat is already holding more moisture than a regular roast, it reheats without turning stringy the way most leftover pork does. In my house it does not usually last long anyway.

• Refrigerator: Airtight container, up to 3 days. Keep the pan juices with the pork so it does not dry out when you reheat.
• Freezer: Wrap tightly in plastic, then foil, then a freezer bag. Up to 2 months. Slice it first if you want single-serving portions you can thaw fast.
• Reheating: 300°F oven, covered in foil, about 10 minutes. Or a skillet on low with a splash of water. The microwave will toughen it.

More Pork Recipes

• Pork Tenderloin Salpicao – Cubed tenderloin stir-fried with garlic, Worcestershire, oyster sauce, and butter.
• Baked Pork Tenderloin with Peaches – Same cut, sweet fruit finish with white wine and warm spices.
• Oven Baked Crusted Pork Loin – Breaded pork loin with a crunchy shell.
• Breaded Pork Loin – A simpler fried version, served with atchara and rice.
• Pork Adobo – If you want something saucier.
• Igado – An Ilocano dish that also uses pork tenderloin, along with innards, soy sauce, and vinegar.
• Pork Loin Tonkatsu – Japanese-style, breaded and fried, with a sweet-savory dipping sauce.

• Fresh rosemary – Dried works. Use 1 tablespoon dried for every 3 fresh sprigs.
• Garlic cloves – Jarred minced garlic in a pinch. About 2 tablespoons for 6 cloves. Garlic powder is a last resort.
• Brown sugar – White sugar, honey, or maple syrup all work in the brine.
• Olive oil – Avocado oil or plain olive oil. Skip sesame or coconut.
• Pork tenderloin – You can use a small pork loin, but the oven time stretches to 35 to 45 minutes. Check the internal temp, do not go by the clock.
• Black pepper – Freshly cracked peppercorns if you have them. Stronger flavor, coarser texture. Same amount.

Try this Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary and Garlic Recipe and let me know what you think.