Baked Garlic and Herb Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients

For the recipe

• 2 pork tenderloins, about 400 g each; 800 g total trimmed raw weight
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (27 g)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (20 g)
• 1 tablespoon honey (20 g)
• 4 garlic cloves (16 g), finely grated
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (4 g)
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (2 g)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 g)
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt (5 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (1 g)
• 60 ml water, for the roasting tin, plus a little more if needed

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 220°C / 425°F conventional, or 200°C fan. Position a rack in the middle. Choose a small metal roasting tin that holds the tenderloins in one layer with a little space between them; a very large tin lets the juices burn more easily.
2. Using a sharp knife, remove the tough silvery membrane and any large pieces of surface fat from the pork. Pat dry with paper towels. Do not confuse tenderloin with a much larger pork loin roast, which requires different cooking times.
3. Tuck the very thin tail end of each tenderloin underneath to make the thickness more even. Secure each tucked end with a short piece of food-safe kitchen string if necessary.
4. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, grated garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Set the pork in the roasting tin and spread the mixture over every surface, scraping all the coating from the bowl onto the meat.
5. Pour 60 ml water into the bottom of the tin around, rather than over, the tenderloins. This helps protect the garlic and honey drippings from burning without washing off the coating.
6. Roast uncovered for approximately 18-25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the tenderloins and the oven. Begin checking at 15 minutes. If the pan dries out and the drippings darken, carefully add 1-2 tablespoons of hot water to the tin.
7. Insert a food thermometer horizontally into the thickest center of each tenderloin. Remove each piece only after it reaches at least 63°C / 145°F. Do not remove at a lower temperature and assume that resting will make up the difference. If one piece finishes earlier, take it out separately.
8. Transfer the pork to a clean board and tent loosely with foil. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing; the minimum safety rest at this temperature is 3 minutes. Remove any kitchen string after resting.
9. Stir the roasting juices, scraping up the browned but not blackened residue. Add a spoonful of hot water if needed to make the juices spoonable. Stir in the juices released on the clean resting board. These pan juices are intended to be light, not a thick gravy.
10. Slice across the grain into medallions about 1.5 cm thick. Divide the meat and juices evenly among 4 plates. Potatoes, rice and vegetables are optional sides and are not included in the nutrition.
11. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow covered containers within 2 hours at 4°C / 40°F or below and use within 3 days. Reheat gently with a little water, covered, until the center reaches 74°C / 165°F. Thin slices reheat quickly, so check frequently to avoid drying them out.