This easy, low carb dinner takes the inexpensive cut of pork tenderloin, coats it with a mustard sauce, and wraps it in a foil packet to bake for 25 minutes. I served it with easy side dishes of orzo and broccoli.
Heat oil over med-high in a large skillet. When oil is almost smoking place tenderloin in skillet and brown on both sides. It should take 2-3 minutes per side. Using tongs, turn the tenderloin so the edges can also get browned.
2 tablespoons Olive oil
When tenderloin is browned, remove from skillet and place on a piece of foil laid out on a baking sheet. Mix the all of the mustards together in a bowl. Spread the mustard over the tenderloin, covering all sides, and then sprinkle with minced rosemary.
1/4 cup coarse mustard, 1/4 cup mustard-based BBQ sauce, 1-2 teaspoons minced rosemary
Pull foil up around tenderloin and wrap securely. Place in the oven and cook for 20 -27 minutes. If you have a meat thermometer, it should register 145°F. If it is not up to temp yet, open the foil and cook another 5-10 minutes. Please do not overcook or the meat will be dry rather than juicy.
While the meat is in the oven make the acini de pepo and the broccoli. Both acini and acini cook very quickly. Just put a pot of water on to boil, add the small pasta, cook about 4 minutes and drain.
1 1/2 cup Acini di pepe
Broccoli: I use quality frozen broccoli florets (not stems). I just microwave these while pasta and tenderloin are cooking and everything gets done at the same time. If you want to use non-frozen broccoli, just cook it in your favorite way. Steaming is a good method for broccoli, as it preserves the dark green color.
3 cups broccoli florets
Slice the tenderloin and serve it with the pasta and broccoli. Collect any juices that have rendered within the foil packet and serve on the side as a sauce. Garnish with fresh rosemary.
2-3 sprigs rosemary for garnish
Video
Notes
Pork tenderloin is generally sold in pairs, each tenderloin being around 1 lb. A 1-pound tenderloin will generally feed 2-3 people, especially if sliced thin and served with some side dishes.If you like my articles about cooking and gardening, subscribe to my weekly newsletter, where I share free recipes and gardening tutorials.