pork tenderloin

confession: i had never cooked a pork tenderloin until this weekend. something about eating a plain old slab of meat grosses me out a bit. but this was not a plain old slab of meat. it was moist, flavorful, fresh, and quite delicious. and of course, very simple which is my number 1 requirement for cooking.

recipe courtesy of the barefoot contessa.

Ingredients
1 lemon, zest grated
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 - 6 lemons)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves (i couldn't find fresh so i use dried)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (i couldn't find fresh so i use dried)
2 teaspoons honey mustard
Kosher salt
2-3 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each

Pepper
Lemon pepper

Directions
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt in a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and discard the marinade but leave the herbs that cling to the meat. Sprinkle the tenderloins generously with salt, pepper, and lemon pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large oven-proof saute pan over medium-high heat. Sear the pork tenderloins on all sides until golden brown. Place the saute pan in the oven and roast the tenderloins for 10 to 15 minutes or until the meat registers 137 degrees F at the thickest part. The thickest part of the tenderloin will be quite pink (it's just fine!) and the thinnest part will be well done. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm, or at room temperature with the juices that collect in the platter.