Roasted pork tenderloin

Nothing's more tragic than an overcooked roast of meat.

In fact, slicing into a roast and seeing that I turned it into dog food ruins my day faster than anything.

If you've ever cooked a roast aiming for a juicy medium-rare, but gotten a DRY medium-well...

You know how I feel.

I wanna quit.

Just burn my apron. Go work for the post office.

But wait - let's take a step back.

Because whether I'm roasting beef, pork, poultry, or wild game, there's a critical element that plays a huge role for meat to retain moisture:

Fat.

Animal fat is in every piece of meat, whether it's visible or not.

Some cuts contain more than others, but meat with more fat generally taste

• richer

• more flavorful

...than leaner cuts of meat.

(Plus, fat helps prevent meat from drying out while cooking.)

So why would anyone want to eat lean meat, then?

• Lean meat = more protein, less fat

• Rich meat = less protein, more fat

Time for the S part of SIMPL - science!

Now I'm not a fitness expert, but I know you have to build and maintain muscle to stay in shape.

Your body builds muscles using amino acids, which come together to form proteins.

So if you wanna build muscle, high-protein, lean meats are what you should be eating.

Some lean meat examples:

• 90/10 ground beef

• chicken breast

• ground turkey

• beef round

• pork tenderloin

"But if I go with the lean meat option, doesn't that mean less flavor?"

Actually, no.

Cooking a lean cut of meat can still give you mouthwatering, tender, juicy results...

You just gotta modify your approach.

For this week's recipe, Roasted pork tenderloin served over red potatoes with salsa verde, I used 3 techniques to create a flavor-packed dish that retains its moisture, and doesn't dry out.

Here’s what I did:

1. I marinated the meat in a blend of garlic, oregano, spices, and citrus.

2. I wrapped it in aluminum foil before cooking.

3. I paired it with a rich, herb-infused sauce.

Marinating this cut of meat is essential, since its low fat content and mild flavor could use a boost.

And wrapping the meat in aluminum foil is essential because it traps the juices inside, so they can't evaporate during cooking.

As it cools after cooking, some of the juices are then re-absorbed, keeping the meat moist.

This dish is rounded out with some oven roasted red potatoes, plus a bright green, creamy salsa verde I whipped up to serve alongside.

I like this dish because the spices add a flavorful kick, which is just what the lean, mild pork needs.

Chef's tip: To prevent overcooking when reheating, reheat the pork separately from the potatoes - just enough to warm it, without cooking it more. Keep the sauce cold, and spoon it over the dish before serving.

Here's the nutrition breakdown for 1 portion:

You can watch my entire process to create this dish in a step-by-step video when you become a SIMPL Insider.

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