This Week in the Kitchen ..we've been cookin up some more "Good Old Fashioned Cooking" ..
just the way we like it here at the Farmhouse !
So here at the farmhouse we have always been pork chops kind of gals ..well I should say kind of been anyhow. It's just a staple we always grew up eating ..but I must admit pork chops were just never my favorite. It always seemed they were either dry or tough or what I call chewy ... no matter if we cooked em on high really fast or slow in the oven like the recipes said ..for me I just never cared for them...
So lately we've been adding some new fixins to our dinner menu and we decided to give the pork tenderloin roast a try ..I had heard how good and Juicy and tender it was and thought this had to be the answer for me to replace pork chops...and I'm happy to say it was just the thing .. this is without a doubt a new recipe that will be part of our dinner menu from now on..
I absolutely love the Pork Tenderloin and to boot it was very simple to prepare and very simple to cook which is pretty much what most of us farm gals are lookin for anyhow .. I must admit that Abbey does the cookin ..I help a bit here and there and of course I eat it and tell her yea or neigh ....Now some of you may have cooked pork tenderloin for years and already know about the wonderful ways to prepare it and the yummy goodness it is ...but for those of you who may have felt intimidated by this long piece of meat and thought it may get a strangle hold on you before you got a chance to cook it ..well no worries this was a breeze to cook.
We did a dry rub Style Pork Tenderloin ..
And for your ingredients you'll need:
pork tenderloin
Garlic Powder
Ground Black Pepper
Sea Salt
Olive Oil
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First off Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F
Then it's time to Prepare your Pork... Our tenderloin came in 2 halves so we used a couple toothpicks pushed into the ends to hold the pork together.
Then we added the garlic powder, pepper, and salt by sprinkling on the pork and Patting / rubbing in. on all sides of the pork. Simply prepare in a 9 x 13 glass or metal cake pan .. Makes for an easy way to turn the meat and rub in the seasoning and an easy way to clean up afterwards.
Then Heat a Large Sautee Pan or Cast Iron Skillet on high heat with 2-3 teaspoons of Olive Oil... When the oil is shimmering add Your Tenderloin.. this will begin the carmelization process to create a wonderful crust on the outside of the meat. Cook and Turn until browned on all sides this should take a total of about 3 minutes per side. During the browning process applying pressure to the meat with your tongs and tilting the pan to brown the pork in the oil is a big help.
Then ... Leaving the Pork in your Skillet .. (be sure your skillet is ovenproof and won't melt the handle, Cast Iron is great for this reason) Place in your oven and bake for 5 to 15 minute or until the pork reaches approx. 145 degrees on your meat thermometer and remove from the oven and let rest 3 to 5 minutes before cutting. The resting period is one important step .. this allows the juices to evenly distribute through the meat ..rather than cutting it and having them all run out and losing that wonderful flavor.
And that's it .. Your Pork Tenderloin is ready to be cut and served !!!
Simply slice your tenderloin ..always slicing it at a slight angle with the grain of the meat is a good idea ... However I have cut it just straight through and it's tasted delicious to me ... but I do understand that the experts say that cutting it with the grain allows the meat to have a more tender chewing experience.
We served our tenderloin with Homemade Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans Boiled in water with a few teaspoons of bacon drippings and Salt and Pepper to taste .. and some Beautiful Brown Pork Gravy .. which was simply delicious !
From our Farmhouse to yours we Wish you many Good Eats ...!
Have any questions about this weeks recipe just ask and we'll be glad to answer !