Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Crumbled Goat Cheese and Blistered Tomatoes {recipe}

Ohhhh pork.  How do I love thee?  Let me count the ways.

Barbecue.

Tenderloin.

Barbecue.

Barbecue.

Wait.  Did I mention barbecue?

Seriously, though.  Pork tenderloin is a super simple, oober delicious and versatile cut of meat.  My all-time favorite tenderloin recipe is my Sweet Chili Pork Tenderloin.  Roasting the pork in the oven is so simple (arguably fool-proof), I decided to use the same approach for this recipe, which utilizes some of those sweet summer tomatoes starting to pop up in the markets.

This is the first of five pork recipes I’ll be creating for the North Carolina Pork Council Blogging Network in 2014.  Did you even know there was such a thing?  Admittedly, I did not, but when the Pork Council comes a knockin on your inbox,  you say YES, PLEASE.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Crumbled Goat Cheese and Blistered Tomatoes

Serves 4

• 1 pork tenderloin (approx 1.25lbs)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 ounces goat cheese (feta would be nice too)
• fresh basil, chopped or torn
• extra virgin olive oil

STEP ONE:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cover a cookie sheet with foil, and coat with cooking spray.  Remove silver skin and excess fat, if any, from the tenderloin.  (CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO TO LEARN HOW) Combine all the herbs and spices in a large Ziploc bag or large container with lid.  Add the tenderloin to the container, seal, and shake to evenly distribute the spice rub.  Lay the tenderloin on the cookie sheet, lightly drizzle with olive oil.

STEP TWO:  In a medium bowl, combine whole tomatoes, garlic, and 2 teaspoons olive oil.  Season with S&P and stir to combine.  Pour tomatoes on the cookie sheet, next to the pork.

STEP THREE:  Cook the tenderloin for 20-25 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 145-160 degrees, depending on your level-of-pink preference.  Let the meat rest for three minutes, then slice and top with blistered tomatoes, crumbled goat cheese, and fresh basil.

Disclaimer:  as a member of the North Carolina Pork Council Blogging Network, I was compensated for the cost of pork products used in this post.