Loads of garlic, aromatic herbs, salt, pepper, and a little bit of mustard blend in a flavor-packed marinade that creates a delicious crust for pork tenderloin cooked on the grill. When I’m trying to serve a large number of people, this is my go-to. I clipped the recipe out of the newspaper many years ago, back when I got an actual newspaper that I could cut into pieces. Since then, I’ve made this pork many times, making small adaptations so that it is just the way I like it.
The Other White Meat
You might remember the advertising campaign which dubbed pork ‘the other white meat.’ As in, come on people, stop eating so much chicken and give pork a try!
Pork and chicken are both a great source of easily absorbed protein. Like all meat, they both contain essential B-vitamins and minerals. Pork is an especially good choice for:
Thiamin – aka Vitamin B1, thiamin is one of the stars of the cellular energy production cycle. A 4-ounce serving of pork provides half of your daily needs, six times as much as chicken.
Vitamin B12 – necessary for red blood cell formation, neurological function, and DNA synthesis – B12 is only available in animal foods. Pork contains four times as much as chicken, so if you only eat a small amount of meat, pork is a great choice.
Iron – although neither pork nor chicken contains as much iron as beef, pork contains twice as much as chicken.
Selenium – to support thyroid function and the immune system. Selenium comes from the soil and is found in almost all foods, but as our soil quality has deteriorated, so has the amount of selenium. A 4-ounce serving of pork contains nearly 80% of your recommended dietary allowance.
Zinc – most people's diets are deficient in zinc, which is important for immune function, wound healing, and DNA synthesis. Pork contains two and a half times as much as chicken.
Choose Your Pork Wisely
Sadly, pork is also similar to chicken in that most brands in the supermarket are from industrial farms. Not only are there ethical and environmental concerns with these farming practices, but the flavor has been bred out of the meat by prioritizing rapid growth and a bland, non-native diet.
To find the best-tasting pork, search for a local farm that sells directly to consumers and raises their animals in ways that are more compatible with ethical, environmental, and health priorities.
Believe it or not, meat that is raised in ways that are better for the animals is actually better for you, too. Pasture-raised pork has been found to have higher levels of protein and Vitamin E (associated with heart, skin, eye health) as well as a more favorable ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats. (Read more about that here).
I buy almost all of my meat at Canter Hill Farm in Malvern PA. They raise a heritage breed of pork called Duroc. The pigs eat food scraps and acorns that they forage in the woods where they live at the back of the farm. The meat is rich and flavorful - so much better than supermarket pork. Visit www.localharvest.org to find a local farm near you.
Superfoods Where You Least Expect Them
There are a couple of ingredients packed into this marinade that you might never have thought about as Superfoods. This post is getting long, so I'll just leave you with that teaser until the next time I write about them!
One way to get the inside scoop on everything I know about Superfoods and other real food ingredients, is to work with me. I'll help you figure out what you should and shouldn't eat to get the results that you want - whether that's losing weight, more energy, improved digestion, or vibrant aging.
Recipe Tips
If planning ahead, the herb marinade can be made a couple of days in advance. Add the pork at least two hours in advance or as early as the day before. Earlier than that, the flavor might be too strong.
A food processor makes quick work of chopping the garlic and herbs and blending them with the mustard, oil, and vinegar. Or mince by hand and stir in the remaining ingredients.
The marinade is enough for 2-3 tenderloins, and can easily be scaled up or down to serve more or fewer people. Even when I’m only cooking one of the tenderloins, I marinate 2 or 3 and freeze the uncooked ones for an easy dinner another time.
Before grilling, scrape off the chunks or garlic and herbs or they will burn. They’ve already done their job to flavor the meat.
I often serve this pork with sweet potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts, but it would also be amazing with corn on the cob and a side of parsley and quinoa tabbouleh.
Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 1-pound pork tenderloins
Instructions
Add garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper to the bowl of a small food processor. Process until finely chopped.
Add mustard and vinegar and mix well.
Slowly add the oil to emulsify the ingredients. The mixture should be creamy.
Place the pork tenderloins in a shallow glass or ceramic baking dish. Pour the marinade over, turning the meat to coat both sides.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight.
1 hour before grilling, remove the pork from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Scrape off any large bits of garlic and herbs and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Preheat the grill to medium high. Add the pork and close the cover.
When one side is nicely charred, turn the pork and continue to cook until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees with an instant-read meat thermometer. Total time will be approximately 15-20 minutes, depending on the temperature of your grill.
Remove meat from the grill and cover loosely with foil for 5-10 minutes to let the muscle fiber reabsorb the juices.
Slice and enjoy!