So let’s talk pork tenderloin. One of the most delicious, reasonably priced, super lean, easily adaptable to either baking or grilling cuts of meat there is. And who doesn’t love those qualifications? Well maybe you. But for me, pork tenderloin is a lifesaver. There are just endless possibilities when it comes to preparation. Some recipes require marinating. Some require a fancy sauce. Some require you to baste the meat as if bakes or while it is being grilled. But lucky for you and me, this recipe that comes from theseasonedmon.com site, with my addition of granulated garlic, has no such requirements.

This recipe is so darned simple I was almost reluctant to fix it the other evening. But I was tired (why I don’t know, since I have been practically inert while social distancing from the world) so I didn’t feel like spending much time in the kitchen. So I slapped the brown sugar, etc. together. Slathered the meat with this simple concoction. And threw the whole mess in the oven as instructed.

After the allotted baking time, I removed the pork from the oven, let it rest before slicing, and served it with – wait – I don’t even remember what I served it with. I was that tired. Anyway, I do remember that the pork was really, really delicious. And the next day when I warmed it for lunch, it was perfect. Still tender. Still tasty. In fact, I was really sorry when it was all gone. Next time I will fix 2 tenderloins so we will have planned overs for more than 1 meal. Yes – it was just that good!

So if you are looking for a really easy way to prepare pork tenderloin, prepare this recipe. It’s a real winner. Not the most gorgeous presentation you will ever lay your eyes on. But so what. Sometimes presentation is overrated. I know with my own personal presentation, the package sure ain’t what it used to be. But I’m still the same gal under all those wrinkles. So don’t judge this tenderloin just by the picture above. Just like with older people like me, there’s sometimes a lot more going on than meets the eye. (And in my case – thank God for that!)

As always – love, laughter, good health, and happy eating to all.   

1 T. brown sugar

1 T. yellow mustard (can use Dijon in a pinch)

pinch granulated garlic

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 (1 lb.) pork tenderloin, silverskin* and extra fat removed 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix the brown sugar, mustard, granulated garlic, salt, and pepper together.

Line a small rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Lightly coat the foil or parchment paper with cooking spray. Place pork on the prepared pan and pat dry with paper towels. Rub brown sugar mixture all over the pork.

Bake pork for 20-30 minutes, or until a thermometer reads 145 degrees. Remove from oven and loosely tent with foil. Allow the meat to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing on the diagonal. 

* The silverskin is sinew on one side of the pork tenderloin and looks like thin, silvery fat.  You need to remove it because it will become tough and chewy when cooked.  To remove the silverskin, slip a very thin, sharp knife in between the silver skin and the meat then cut it all away. Take care to just remove the silverskin and not a lot of the beautiful meat itself!