Dinner with Your Doc: Italian Roasted Pork Tenderloin
May 18, 2020
Italian Roasted Pork Tenderloin
“Is it done yet?” This is the question asked when meat is being prepared. Is it when the juices run clear, or the color of the meat? Is it what the surface of the meat looks like, or what the meat feels like to touch? There are many ways to answer this question, but only one is guaranteed to be safe. And that is the TEMPERATURE of the meat. Only when the meat is prepared to a certain temperature can you be assured that it is safe to eat, and that you can avoid nasty illness like salmonella or norovirus. A simple tool, the meat thermometer, can answer this question reliably. They are very affordable (starting around $5 for a reusable one; for about $15 you can find a digital, waterproof variety) and very reliable. The temperature should be taken from the center of the meat, and checked in several places if the piece is thick or large. The temperatures you need to remember are:
Pork 145 °F
Beef (ground) 160 °F
Beef (whole) 145 °F
Poultry 165 °F
Fish 145 °F
Here is an easy recipe for pork tenderloin, guaranteed to be perfectly and safely done with the use of your meat thermometer.
Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
1 lb pork tenderloin
½ cup Italian dressing (purchased or homemade)
½ tsp salt
Black pepper to taste
Directions
- Season pork with salt and pepper. Marinade pork in dressing, approx. 2-6 hours in refrigerator.
- Preheat oven to 400 °F. Cover sheet pan with alum foil and spray with oil.
- Place large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, then add pork to the pan. Cook pork until underside is brown and it starts to unstick from pan. Flip pork, and brown other side.
- Place pork on greased, foil lined sheet pan. Bake in center of oven until internal temp is 145 °F, about 15 min.
- Remove from oven, allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with roasted veggies, quinoa or potatoes!
