Garlic Herb Roast Pork

It’s a bit of a grey Wednesday here in Munich, with no sun to tempt me to go wandering outside, it’s a perfect day to stay in the warmth of the kitchen, where I’ve got some bread in the oven and a pot of soup on the stove. At the moment I’m lucky enough to be able to work from home,  but I’ve spent years rushing around madly trying to get food on the table when I get in from work, and this recipe is one of my favourite quick and easy midweek dinners.

While the idea of a roast meal has a tendency to conjure images of a long Sunday spent in the kitchen with the oven going full blast for hours and a huge amount of dishes, this recipe for Garlic Herb Roast Pork is ready in around half an hour and involves almost no washing up. Here’s the trick: juicy pork tenderloin is pan-seared until golden brown, then smothered in herbs and seasoning, wrapped in foil and quickly roasted in the oven.

The herbs infuse the pork and the trapped moisture keeps the meat deliciously tender. I like to make a separate parcel of vegetables to roast at the same time, meaning this is a seriously low-effort dinner. I’ve written this recipe with two pork tenderloin to feed four to six, but just halve it if you are only feeding two. The leftovers reheat very well and are great for work the next day.

This recipe comes from my cookbook ‘Simply Summer’ which you can find here on my website as well as Amazon – and I’ve got some really exciting news coming up next week, sign up to my mailing list to be the first to know!

Garlic Herb Roast Pork

Let me know if you try this recipe in the comments below, or using the hashtag #daysofjay on Instagram. Happy cooking!


Garlic Herb Pork Roast

Garlic and Herb Roast Pork

Yield: Serves 4

Juicy pork tenderloin seared until golden brown, then smothered in herbs and seasoning, wrapped in foil and quickly roasted in the oven. Garlic and Herb Roast Pork is perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, 
finely chopped
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • ground black pepper
  • 800g pork tenderloin (2 medium)
  • 25 g parsley, 
 finely chopped
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 50 g butter, in slices
  • flesh of 1 orange, chopped

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas 4. In a small dish mix together the lemon juice, rosemary, two tablespoons of the olive oil, salt and pepper. Trim the pork tenderloins if necessary, discarding excess fat. Cut off the silver skin (see picture), then roll the tenderloins in the marinade until well coated and set aside.
  2. In a large frying pan heat the remaining oil until hot but not smoking. Add the tenderloins to the pan and brown well on all sides. It’s alright if they are curled up a little to fit the shape of the pan. Browning should take around 5-10 minutes. If you don’t have a big enough pan, just do this in two lots.
  3. Meanwhile cut two large sheets of tin foil. When the tenderloins are nice and brown, place each on one of the sheets (you can double line this with baking paper if you like). Stir together the parsley, oregano, garlic, and orange zest and rub over the pork. Season again with salt and pepper, then top each with a few slices of butter, and scatter over the chopped orange. Wrap in the foil, leaving a little room above the pork for the steam, and pinch the foil tightly closed to seal.
  4. Transfer to an oven tray and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until cooked through. Allow to rest, wrapped, for 5 minutes before bringing to the table, slicing thickly and serving. The pork will be lovely and pink in the middle; this is perfect!

Notes

Pork is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 62°C / 145°F, and the pork continues to cook after it comes out of the oven. If you are at all worried, use a meat thermometer.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 518Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 173mgSodium: 783mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 53g

Nutrition information is calculated automatically and isn’t always accurate.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What can I serve with Garlic Herb Roast Pork?

I like to make a parcel of green vegetables, such as asparagus or beans and put them in the oven with some butter, salt and pepper for the last 10-15 minutes of the cooking time. Throw in whatever flavourings you like


Do I have to spend so long browning the meat? Can’t I just throw it in the oven?

Browning the meat properly is what gives this dish a lot of flavour in a short cooking time. Take the time to brown it properly and it will reward you!


Garlic Herb Roast Pork
Roasted Asparagus for Garlic Herb Roast Pork
Roasted Asparagus for Garlic Herb Roast Pork

GARLIC HERB ROAST PORK


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Jay Wadams
Jay Wadams

Jay Wadams is a cookbook author, food photographer and Le Cordon Bleu Gastronomy and Nutrition graduate. Based in Italy 🇮🇹 Germany 🇩🇪 and Australia 🇦🇺.

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