Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Pork Tenderloin is a lean cut that is high in protein, potassium, and selenium. When cooked properly it is very tender and delicious.  This is an easy recipe that roasts up quickly and pairs nicely with the Black Bean and Sweet Potato Salad. For this recipe you can use a center cut pork loin, but I found the tenderloin on sale, so I snatched it up! It is my favorite protein, after all!

Ingredients
2 lb Whole Pork Tenderloin
1 teaspoon olive oil
1-2 teaspoons ground cumin
salt and pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat tenderloins with the olive oil and season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Sear tenderloins in a skillet over mid-high heat about a minute or two on both sides until nicely browned. Place heat proof skillet in oven and roast for 15-20 minutes. Remove pork from oven and check temp with instant read thermometer. Temp should register at least 140 degrees F. If pork is up to temp, let rest for 10 minutes then slice and enjoy (slice on the thin side to use leftovers for sandwiches). Be careful not to overcook.

Use the leftover pork to make delicious sandwiches - Roasted Pork Club with Scallion Mayo for lunch or dinner the next day!

If you are making this with the Black Bean and Sweet Potato Salad, put the sweet potatoes on the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven right before you sear tenderloins. When tenderloins are nicely seared, put them on the rack in the top third of the oven. Roast pork and potatoes at the same time until pork is up to temp and potatoes tender (about 15 minutes). When the tenderloin is done, if the potatoes need more time, put them back in the oven and finish roasting while the pork is resting.

recipe from marthastewart.com