Cooking Class- How to Sear a Pork Tenderloin

I love pork tenderloin and Lemon- Herb tenderloin is one of my favorite dishes. The secret to this recipe is to get a really good sear on the meat and then finish it in the oven. Searing is not difficult at all, but it can be intimidating the first few times if you don't know what your doing. These are the steps that work for me so i thought that I would share.

The first and most important thing to do is pull the meat out of the refrigerator and let it warm up to almost room temperature. This will help the meat "relax" and helps distribute the juices inside.

The next thing to do is heat the pan. It is hot enough when you can only hold your hand over the pan for a count of 3. T his is really important because if the pan isn't hot enough the meat will stick to the pan and tear when you try to turn it.

Put a teaspoon of oil in the pan and swirl it around until it coats the bottom. Then lay the meat in the pan.

When the meat starts to brown on the bottom, turn the meat over to let the next side brown. Repeat until the entire tenderloin is browned.

After the meat is seared on all sides, put the entire pan in the oven at 400 for 20 minutes. When it comes out remove it from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing. It will be flavorful and juicy! 

I like to serve it over rice.

Lemon Herb Pork Tenderloins

Serves:

6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 lemon, zest grated

• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 to 6 lemons)

• olive oil

• 2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)

• 1 tablespoons dried rosemary

• ¾ tablespoon dried thyme leaves

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

• Kosher salt

• 3 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)

• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt in a sturdy 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Freeze

Remove Pork from freezer the day before you plan to cook. Thaw completely in refrigerator.

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 and 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 15 to 20 minutes or until the meat registers 137 degrees F at the thickest part. Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Carve in 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices. 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.

Searing