I've got Pork Tenderloin on my mind...I hear it, don't care.

Today, after a day of studying estate administration (full of rules and tax jargon), I couldn't stop thinking about my Mommom. She passed away at the age of 90 back in November. Mommom loved pork tenderloin. I think back to my childhood after a long day at the beach with my cousins and smelling the pork tenderloin cooking in the oven. She knew pork, probably better than some other genres she cooked with. Tonight, this pork tenderloin is for you.

Now, I like to incorporate cooking my veggies with my meats when possible (unless of course, I have a vegetarian or vegan in the house - then cooked separately!). So I have put a bunch of veggies in the bottom of my pan and you can add ones that I don't have like peppers, carrots, celery, squash, etc. It is really up to you. 

I present: Hopped Up on Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

1 package (containing 2) of Pork Tenderloin 

1 bottle of New Belgium Hoppy Bock Lager (link to beer info) 

1 yellow or white onion chopped 

1 cluster (?) of broccolini

1 cup of chicken stock (or veggie) 

1-2 portobello caps sliced 

3-4 cloves of garlic 

1-2 fresh sprigs of rosemary (it grows wild here, so I pick some from my apt complex, wash it and dry it and use it --- not sorry!) 

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Grapeseed Oil OR Olive Oi 

Balsamic Vinegar 

Salt

Pepper 

1/2 cup brown or white sugar

Directions: First, I like to let my pork tenderloins sit in a sugar-salt mixture to tenderize the meat. This time, I added 1/2 a bottle of beer, and 1/2 cup of sugar, warm to hot water, and 1/2 cup of salt. Stir all these ingredients until they are mostly dissolved. Then after you either stab the tenderloins with a fork OR cut a few slits in the meat, let them sit in the mixture for about 20-30 minutes. 

While that is sitting, you can cut up all of your veggies and arrange them how you see fit in the bottom of your baking pan. Today, I am using a casserole dish. After you arrange them, add the rest of the beer, the chicken stock, and drizzle the veggies with oil and some salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme. 

I am not super great at arranging...but you could cut up the veggies differently. OR if you are using a different kind of dish, stack them up on the sides, etc. It is really up to you. Be more creative than me. :) 

Once the meat is done tenderizing, take it out of the solution and place the meat over the veggies. Stuff the slits with some garlic and then drizzle with oil, fresh rosemary, pepper, salt, and thyme. Then, you can use balsamic vinegar OR I have this awesome balsamic glaze that is fantastic, and drizzle that over the meat. 

Drizzle it up! 

You can see the pork stuffed with garlic cloves and the rosemary...and the sweet drizzle job. 

Set the oven to about 325-350. It will likely take about 30-40 min to cook (if you use a lower heat). I am covering the meat with tinfoil for the first 15 minutes, and then removing the tinfoil for the remainder of the time. The meat will be done if you take it out of the oven and use a meat thermometer to get it up to about 145-155 degrees. 

Final Product! 

On a plate, not the best lighting, but it is tasty! 

If it turns out there is too much liquid, you can drain it out using a baster and just tossing it. I like my veggies crispier/more roasted so I removed some of the liquid. BUT, I made sure to baste the meat with some of the juices first :)...I wouldn't be the unlawful cook if I didn't break some rules. Wink, wink.

ENJOY IT.