Perfect pork roll prepared in the oven

Need some inspiration for your Sunday lunch? In that case, we have something for you. Prepare a tasty pork tenderloin with a side dish in the oven with us. In the article, we bring you a detailed recipe on how to bake it so that it is still pink and juicy inside.

Why make a pork tenderloin?

Pork tenderloin is the highest quality and most tender piece of pork. It is located along the spine in the lumbar part of the animal's body and is among the muscles that are least stressed. This gives the meat a fine structure and juiciness.

Characteristics of meat

Pork tenderloin is a popular choice in gastronomy precisely because of the combination of its properties - great taste, tenderness and quick preparation.

• Structure: Tender, lean meat with minimal fat and sinew.
• Shape: It has an oblong shape and reaches a length of 20-30 cm.
• Taste: Mild and slightly sweet.
• Use: Ideal for quick heat treatment - grilling, baking, roasting, sous-vide.
• Color: Light pink, cream-brown after heat treatment.

Preparation tips

Thanks to these tips, you will be able to bake the pork tenderloin correctly without it being dry and hard:

• You must not bake the pork tenderloin for too long, as it would dry out and lose its juiciness. It is ideal to leave it slightly pink in the middle.
• The ideal procedure is to first quickly pull the pork tenderloin in the pan and then finish it in the oven at a lower temperature. 
• You can season the meat more strongly. Various herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage), garlic, mustard, ground pepper or balsamic vinegar are excellent.
• To keep the meat even juicier, you can wrap the pork tenderloin with thin slices of bacon or prosciutto before baking in the oven.

Now that we have discussed the main principles, we can move on to the complete recipe, with the help of which you can prepare a juicy pork tenderloin full of flavor.

Baked pork tenderloin with potatoes and herbs

Number of servings: 2-3 servings

Preparation time: approximately 45 minutes

Ingrediens:

• 1 piece of pork tenderloin (approx. 400-500 g)
• 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1-2 teaspoons of dried thyme, rosemary or Provencal pepper
• 1 – 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 teaspoon of ground red pepper
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tbsp of butter
• 500 g of small (baby) potatoes

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
2. Wash the potatoes and cut them into halves or quarters. Mix them with olive oil, salt, ground pepper and rosemary. Place them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake.
3. In the meantime, dry the meat with a paper towel and lightly rub it with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, mustard and herbs. Leave for 10-15 minutes.
4. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and fry the prepared pork tenderloin on all sides (about 2 minutes on each side) so that the meat is nicely browned.
5. Reduce the temperature in the oven to 170-180 °C. 
6. Transfer the pork tenderloin to a separate small baking pan or to the potato tray. Brush it with a piece of butter and bake for approximately 12-15 minutes. The meat must be slightly firm to the touch, but still juicy inside. Do not poke the meat under any circumstances.
7. After removing from the oven, let the pork tenderloin rest covered for 5-10 minutes so that the juices in the meat are distributed evenly. 
8. If the potatoes are baked, remove them from the oven as well.
9. Cut the finished pork tenderloin into slices and serve with potatoes, or with sauce to taste.

Tips:

• If you want the pork tenderloin to be less overcooked and pinker, bake it for a shorter time, approximately 10 minutes. 
• For an even juicier result, you can wrap the pork tenderloin in slices of English bacon.
• You can replace baked potatoes with baked sweet potatoes or roasted root vegetables.
• You can serve the pork tenderloin with a sauce according to your preferences, for example cream with mushrooms. You prepare it by adding whipping cream, soaked and chopped mushrooms to the baking in a pan, pouring in a little white wine and seasoning with salt and pepper. Then you let the sauce reduce and you can soften it with a little butter at the end.

Bon appetit!