Roasted pork tenderloin

48g protein the SIMPL way

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

Roasted pork tenderloin served over red potatoes with salsa verde

"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. After roasting, I let it rest before unwrapping, so juices have time to re-absorb.

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

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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:

Calories: 628

  • Protein: 48g

  • Carbs: 33g

  • Fat: 33g

Roasted pork tenderloin served over red potatoes with salsa verde

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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Roasted pork tenderloin served over red potatoes with salsa verde

Makes 5 portions

Marinating time: 3 hours

Cooking time: 90 minutes

Ingredients

2 pork tenderloins (30 oz total; order 2)

2 las red potatoes (use ⅔ of this bag)

3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp Spanish Paprika 

4 tsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp dried oregano

¼ cup avocado mayonnaise

4 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 bunch cilantro (coarsely chopped, including stems)

5 cloves garlic (minced) 

5 scallions (sliced)

1 jalapeno (seeds removed, sliced)

Kosher salt to taste

Directions:

To marinate pork:

In a mixing bowl, combine 4 cloves minced garlic, 1 Tbsp dry oregano, 1 Tbsp ground cumin, 1 Tbsp Spanish paprika, 2 Tbsp olive oil, and 2 Tbsp lime juice.

Mix them all together with a fork. Pour the marinade into a large container with the pork tenderloins, and mix them by hand until the tenderloins are well-coated.

Wrap the container in plastic, and store in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

To cook pork:

After the pork is marinated, season them with a large pinch of salt on both sides and set each on a sheet  of aluminum foil. Wrap the meat tightly to seal in the moisture while they cook.

Place the meat in a metal container or casserole dish. Roast in the oven at 375 degrees  for about 30 minutes. Once they’re cooked to 135 degrees, remove from the oven. Let rest for 30 minutes.

After the pork has cooled, unwrap it, and slice into ¼ inch slices. Set aside.

For the potatoes: 

Slice the potatoes into bite-size pieces. Toss them in a bowl with 1 Tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, and 2 tsp salt.

Pour the potatoes out onto a sheet pan or sauté pan, and roast in the oven at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes until tender.

Toss them a couple times while cooking to make sure they cook evenly. Once they’re tender, remove them from the oven and set aside.

For the salsa verde:

In a mixing bowl, combine ¼ cup avocado mayo, 2 Tbsp lime juice, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 bunch cilantro, (chopped) 5 scallions, (sliced) 1 jalapeno, (seeds removed, sliced) and a large pinch of kosher salt.

Using a stick blender or upright blender, pureé the sauce until smooth. Add a little water if needed to blend it.

Set out 10 portion cups with lids and portion all the sauce between the cups. Place the lids on the cups, and set aside.

To finish: 

Set out 5 meal prep containers to portion the meals, and evenly distribute all the ingredients in the containers. Place two sauce portion in each of the containers, and seal up the containers

To reheat these meals, remove the sauce, and microwave on high for two minutes with the lid on. Serve with the sauce and enjoy. These meals will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 5-6 days.

Roasted pork tenderloin served over red potatoes with salsa verde

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