I don’t make pork tenderloin very often. It’s too much like a roast for me and I have yet to perfect that particular dish either. The balance between a moist and dry roast is sometimes rather elusive. I came across this recipe in Concert in the Kitchen. I thought that it was an interesting take on the Pork Tenderloin as I had never seen one that was breaded before. Surely the tenderloin would retain its moisture with a crumb crust. So I tried it.

As I gathered the ingredients I felt that the amount of bread crumbs was a bit much, but then again I chose a smaller tenderloin as it was just for two people so the amount could have been correct for an average sized tenderloin. And I used dried rosemary (1/2 tsp) instead of fresh rosemary. The entire process was quick and relatively easy to do. It was completely done within 20 minutes of putting it in the oven. I served it with mashed turnips and potatoes.

Pork Tenderloin with Herb Crumb Crust

adapted from Concert in the Kitchen

3 cups bread crumbs

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

3/4 tsp crumbled bay leaves

*salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 pounds of pork tenderloin, trimmed

1 egg, beaten

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp olive oil

Mix the bread crumbs, parsley, rosemary and bay leaves in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper. Dip into the egg, roll in the bread crumb mixture coating it completely.

Melt the butter and oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the pork. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown on all sides. Place on a rack in a roasting pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 155 degrees when inserted into the center of the pork and crust is a golden brown. Remove pork to a cutting board. Let stand for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the pork into slices and serve.