A speedy roast! Martha Stewart's Pork Tenderloin with Honeyed Butter

 

 

I am writing this at the time of year where you might be sick of eating meat; Christmas can turn into a bit of a meat marathon with all those roast dinners and the general prolonged faffing about that goes along with them, and if you are anything like me then there comes a time somewhere around 27th December where you are crying out for a cheeseboard, but before you banish any more meat out of your mind, here is an unfaffy, speedily quick way of rustling up a pretty gorgeous meal courtesy of Martha Stewart who is the subject of this month's Cook Like A Star  bloghop.

 

The bloghop is hosted by Zoe at Bake for Happy Kids, Baby Sumo from Eat your heart out and Riceball from Riceball Eats. If you have the time, visit there for many more Martha Stewart treats!

 

It has been the case for a long time that pork in this country at least can be quite dry and flavourless, due to this country's obsession with intensive farming methods. This meat lends itself to be being basted and roasted in this way and the quick cooking process leaves the meat caramelised and flavourful on the outside, and moist on the inside. I must say however that the seven minutes cooking time in the oven was a little too short when I cooked this - it ended up being more like 15. I can only think that either I have an inefficient oven or else Martha Stewart's pig of choice is rather small. Anyway, it's worth mentioning. I pierced the loin with a knife part way through to check the juices and it needed a little more and whilst I know you can serve pork a little pink, I do think a good vet would have got this little piggy back to market. So, it got double the time and in my mind didn't suffer for it because it had been well seared in the pan on top of the hob beforehand, so it was still moist and juicy in the middle.

 

I served this with fondant potatoes and petit pois. And it was good. Very good!

 

Pork Tenderloin with Honeyed Butter, adapted from the Martha Stewart website

 

Ingredients:

 

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed of silver skin ( ...mine was a more like a lb of pork, about 600g)

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1/4 cup water

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

 

 

 

In a Dutch oven or ovenproof skillet, heat butter and honey over medium heat, stirring to melt butter.

 

 

 

Season pork with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and place in pan.

 

 

 

Cook until underside is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Turn pork, and cook until other side is browned, about 5 minutes more. Lower the heat if the honey begins to burn.

 

Put pan in the oven, and roast until pork is just cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. (Though it may take longer; see preamble!) Transfer pork to a plate.

 

Add water to the pan, and stir over medium heat to scrape up all the browned bits. Add any accumulated pork juices from the plate, and simmer until sauce is reduced to about 1/2 cup.

 

 

 

Slice pork on the diagonal, and serve drizzled with sauce.

 

I am submitting this as part of the 'Cook Like A Star' bloghop. Visit some of the other wonderful Martha Stewart dishes below!