A Recipe So Easy You Can Barely Call It Cooking

Sometimes I can’t face standing at the stove, and yet I can’t bring myself to order take-out either.  That’s when I turn to my secret ingredient—a pork tenderloin. If I don’t have one on hand, I will happily go to the store and get one.

I had never heard of this cut of meat growing up.  But some years ago when a new neighbor invited us for dinner and served Roast Pork Tenderloin, I was immediately hooked.

The tenderloin is self-descriptive—very tender.  It comes in a heavy plastic, shrink-wrap bag, and it’s not cheap.  On the other hand, it’s sometimes on sale.  And it’s certainly cheaper than eating out and faster too.  Twenty minutes in the oven is all it takes.  

Roast Pork Tenderloin – serves 2-3 

1/4 cup honey 

2 tablespoons brown sugar 

2 tablespoons cider vinegar 

1 teaspoon dry mustard 

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound) 

Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 475 degrees.  For easy clean-up, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  

Put the honey, brown sugar, vinegar and dry mustard into a small pot and mix well.  Set aside. 

Trim any fat from the tenderloin and place on the foil.  Spoon 2 tablespoons of the honey mixture over the top.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Turn the tenderloin over and spoon on another 2 tablespoons of the honey mixture.  Bake another 10 minutes. 

Near the end of the cooking time, bring the remaining honey mixture to a boil and keep warm. 

Slice the tenderloin into 1/2-inch slices and serve with hot honey sauce.  The slices can be slightly pink. 

NOTE: Do not buy huge pork tenderloins for this dish because they take much longer to cook.

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