I have the perfect suggestion for a fall Sunday meal with your family or in the company of good friends: melt-in-your-mouth-delicious roasted pork tenderloin with easy, creamy, oven-baked polenta. This is a fool-proof recipe which includes a simple technique worth mastering.
Pork tenderloin is a very lean protein and so it benefits from generous seasoning before cooking. For this recipe, instead of the usual marinade, I made a rub of fresh thyme, mustard, and a little brown sugar to help caramelize the meat. Browning all the sides of the tenderloin in a skillet before roasting is an important step to seal in the flavors, as is adding some liquid to the skillet before it goes into the oven. While most recipes call for roasting the tenderloin on a rack, I find that that method dries out the meat. Instead, this recipe uses an oven-safe skillet, which protects the tenderloin from the high heat and also makes a wonderfully rich, flavorful pan sauce at the end of the roasting time.
Once the pork tenderloin comes out of the oven, cover it and allow it to rest for a while so the juices redistribute. This perhaps is the most important step and the key to a moist pork tenderloin.
To accompany this dish, I cannot think of anything more comforting at this time of the year than a velvety-soft Parmesan polenta. Many of us do not want to be bothered by the constant stirring that is often required when cooking the polenta. If you have never tried it before, however, this no-stir polenta method will win you over. A low temperature and less than 30 minutes in the oven is all it takes for the most delicious, soft and creamy Parmesan polenta you have ever tasted. This melt-in-your-mouth roasted pork tenderloin and this easy, creamy polenta are a match made in heaven and I am pretty sure you will agree once you try it in your home!
- 2 lbs. pork tenderloins
- 2 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 3 TBSP. fresh thyme leaves
- 2 TBSP. Dijon mustard
- 3 TBSP. dark brown sugar
- 2 TBSP. olive oil
- ½ cup beef or chicken stock, warm
- Trim the tenderloin, pat dry and place on a large plate.
- Rub the pork tenderloins with the olive oil then season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl mix together the thyme, mustard and brown sugar and rub the mixture evenly over the tenderloins. Let this sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Place an oven-safe skillet (like cast iron) over medium-high heat. When the skillet gets hot, add the olive oil and brown the tenderloins well on all sides. When they are nicely browned, add the warm stock and gently scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze.
- Transfer the skillet to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the tenderloin. Insert a meat thermometer in the thickest portion of the tenderloin, and when it registers between 145°F (for medium-rare) to 155°F, it is ready. Remove the meat from the oven, cover loosely with foil, and let stand for 5 minutes (it will continue cooking while resting). When you are ready to serve, slice it on an angle and spoon some of its juices over it.
- 2 TBSP. butter
- 4.5 cups of water (or, 3.5 cups of water & 1 cup of milk)
- 1 cup Polenta (not the instant variety)
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 4 oz. Parmesan (plus more for serving)
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Bring 4½ cups water (or, use some milk as part of the liquid), to a simmer in a large ovenproof saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and the salt and whisk until the butter is melted. Gradually stir in the polenta--do not add it all at once or you will end up with clumps. Whisk the mixture constantly until the polenta comes to a boil.
- Cover the pot with a lid, and transfer it to the lower rack in the oven. Bake until the polenta is tender, about 25–30 minutes. Remove the polenta from oven.
- Meanwhile, carefully uncover the saucepan and whisk the polenta vigorously, scraping bottom of pan to keep any from burning. At that point the polenta should be smooth. Slowly add the Parmesan cheese, whisking constantly until the cheese is melted and the polenta is smooth and thick. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Cover until ready to serve (it will stay warm for up to half an hour, covered). If necessary, reheat over low heat when ready to serve.
- Divide the polenta among warmed bowls and top with more Parmesan. Serve at once.
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I love hearing from you – Please feel free to get in touch anytime with questions, feedback or things you’d like to see on Marilena’s Kitchen. I would love to know what you think of this recipe – leave me a comment below!
This looks fabulous and a perfect dinner for Fall. Can’t wait to try it.
Do you have a favorite brand of polenta?
That is a good question Joanne! For the purpose of this recipe I used regular stone ground cornmeal, because I figured that’s what most people have on hand. Polenta, the Northern Italian dish, is also ground yellow corn, just a bit coarser. For coarser ground corn, I prefer the Bob’s Red Mill brand which is labeled as “polenta corn”. Since it is considerably coarser, I would think that it needs a bit longer cooking time, but I haven’t timed it yet. I hope I answered your question! ?
This was absolutely delicious and so easy to make! My husband is already asking me to make it again next week. Thank you!
That is great, Stef! I am so happy to know that you liked it so much!
Great recipe except for severely over cooking the pork. After much trial , pork tenderloin cooked to 142°f is juicier, more tender, and better flavor.
Thank you Brandon. The National Pork Board recommends cooking pork to a temperature between 145°F (for medium-rare) to 155°F. You can certainly cook it less, if this is your preference!