Pork Tenderloin With Chimichurri Verde
Want to make the best pork tenderloin ever? I’ve got you covered with this Pork Tenderloin & Chimichurri Verde. The Pork Tenderloin is seared in a hot skillet before it’s transferred to the oven to finish cooking. Chimichurri Verde adds a nice brightness to this perfectly cooked pork.
Pork Doesn’t Need To Be Well Done
Pork tenderloin is a very lean cut of meat, like chicken breast, but way better! Proteins with little to no fat are easy to overcook and dry out. I find most people that hate pork chops or pork in general simply have never had it served, not dry and tough. Which is why I’m an advocate for Medium pork! It’s crazy to me that in 2021 it’s still so taboo or forbidden to eat pork that’s not well done. They’re so many resources out there that will debunk the myth that pork shouldn’t be pink. It absolutely should be pink. An internal temperature of 145 to 160 degrees F is the goal. Of course you have to cook your food how you like to eat it. So if medium pork isn’t your thing then you’ll simply need to increase the cooking time by a few minutes.
Dry Brining
If you’ve made my Spatchcock Oven Roasted Turkey Breast then you’re familiar with dry brining. For those of you that don’t know, a dry brine just means we’re salting the meat ahead of time, not right before cooking. Dry brining is great for making sure the meat is seasoned all the way through as well as it helps the meat retain its moisture. All this results in perfectly juicy and perfectly seasoned meat!
The key to dry brining is salt, time, and air! For this pork Tenderloin I suggest you salt it liberally and place it on a baking sheet with a wire rack. Stick in the refrigerator uncovered away from everything for at least 1 hour minimum. The longer the salt sits the better, so I recommend letting it sit overnight. I would not recommend letting it sit longer than that. The outside will dry out so you’ll get a nice beautiful brown sear on the outside. Don’t worry it will still be nice and juicy on the inside as well.
Chimichurri
You may or may not be familiar with Chimichurri. It’s a delicious bright and oil based sauce. Chimichurri comes from South America and is found in Argentinian, Paraguayan, and Uruguayan cuisines specifically. It’s used on grilled meats, fish and poultry and comes in green, which is verde, or red. Each region makes Chimichurri differently so recipes very from person to person! From what I know, generally Chimichurri is made with parsley, red wine vinegar, garlic, oil, and a fresh chili or chili flakes. The Chimichurri in this recipe is one I enjoy and have tweaked to my taste over the years!
I love serving Chimichurri alongside this pork tenderloin because it elevates the flavor. Chimichurri also screams summer to me. I love the brightness the sauce adds. Pork in America is so commonly served with sweet condiments or cooked fruits. I appreciate that preparation sometimes, but I think many people have become too boxed in with serving pork with a sweet glaze or sauce. Pork is just as versatile as any animal protein and does just as well with savory sauce. It’s a nice change so I definitely think it’s worth trying.
I hope you make and love this Pork Tenderloin with Chimichurri! If you make this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment below and let me know what you think!
Pork Tenderloin With Chimichurri Verde
Ingredients
Pork Tenderloins
- 2 pork tenderloins about 1- 1 1/4 pound each
- 3 tsps of salt divided
- 2 tsps black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- olive oil
Chimichurri
- 1/2 bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley washed and dried (roughly 1/2 cup)
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes or 1 small fresh red chili of your choice finely chopped.
- tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 3/4 cup avocado, canola, vegetable, or sunflower oil any neutral oil you like
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
Dry Brine Pork Tenderloin
- Mix salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder together in a small bowl. Mix well to combine
- Pat the outside of pork tenderloins dry with paper towels. Make sure to get them as dry as possible
- Liberally season each piece of pork with about 1 1/2 tbsps of the seasoning blend. Being sure to press seasoning firmly against the pork to help it adhere to the surface.
- Transfer pork tenderloins to a sheet pan with a wire rack. Leave space between the loins so they're not touching.
- Transfer sheet pan to a safe part of your fridge and allow to sit uncovered for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
- An hour before you're ready to cook; remove pork tenderloins from the fridge and and set on counter. Let the pork come to room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking.
- Place a large cast iron or other oven safe skillet into the oven.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Make Chimichurri Verde
- While you're wait for the pork to come to room temperature, now's a good time to make the Chimichurri Verde
- Finely chop garlic cloves and add to a medium bowl.
- Finely chop parsley leaves(use the leaves only) and add to the bowl with the garlic.
- Add oregano, chili flakes, red wine vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Whisk well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Chimichurri Verde is best served at room temperature, so once it's finished just set aside until ready to serve.
Cook & Serve
- Once 30 minutes to an hour has passed, preheat a burner to medium high heat.
- Generously drizzle and rub the outside each pork tenderloin with oil.
- After about 5-8 minutes once your burner is nice and hot, remove you large cast iron skillet from the preheated oven and place it onto the hot burner.
- Place both tenderloins into the hot skillet and sear for 2 minutes per side. Turn and sear until the pork is seared all the way around. Should take about 6 minutes.
- Once pork is seared on all three sides, turn off the burner, give the pork a turn and transfer it to the oven to finish cooking. Cook anywhere from 8-15 minutes depending on how done you want it. Check the temperature at 8 minutes and go from there. Pork is done when the temperature reads anywhere between 145 to 155 degrees when the thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the meat. If you want the pork more well done you can go up to 165, but I don't recommend going past that.
- Once pork reaches appropriate temperature, remove from oven and transfer back to sheet pan.
- Lightly tent pork with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Once pork has rested, transfer one at a time to the cutting board. Slice into 1-2 inch pieces.
- Transfer pork to serving plate and drizzle with a few spoonful's of Chimichurri Verde. Or simply serve Chimichurri Verde on the side and allow everyone to serve themselves.
- Enjoy!