Herb-marinated Loin of Pork

You may not think of it as "fast food," but if you have a few loins of pork on hand, you can have a wonderful dinner on the table in under an hour. Generally sold two to a package, these loins make enough for 4-6; or, in our case, 2 plus lots of leftovers. I've been cooking my way through Ina Garten's newest cookbook, Back to Basics, and had to try her recipe for herb-marinated loin of pork. The bonus is that it is done on the grill, so you don't even have to dirty a pan.

I marinated the pork overnight, but you could marinate for as little as 3 hours. The mixture of herbs and lemons made for a very fragrant dish. The pork was juicy and flavorful. The marinade had really penetrated the meat. Served with pierogi and red cabbage, this was a very quick, but tasty dinner.

Marinade

grated zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4-6 lemons)

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tbs minced garlic (6 cloves)

1 1/2 tbs minced fresh rosemary leaves

1 tbs chopped fresh thyme

2 tsp Dijon mustard

Kosher salt

2-3 pork tenderloins, 1 lb each

freshly ground black pepper

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2 tsp salt in a 1 gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze the air out of the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight, or at least 3 hours. (I like to put the bag in a bowl, just in case).

When you're ready to cook, preheat the grill. Be sure to brush the grillwith some oil to prevent the pork from sticking. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and discard the marinade.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then grill, turning a few times to brown on all sides, for 20 minutes--until the meat registers about 140 degrees at the thickest part.

Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil. LET REST FOR AT LEAST 10 MINUTES.

Carve in 1/2 inch thick diagonal slices. The thickest part will be pink; this is just fine. The end parts will be well done--something for everyone. Serve with the juices that collect on the platter.

I have a whole new respect for the Barefoot Contessa. Her recipes are right on the money. There hasn't been one that I've tried that hasn't gotten a "10" and been added to my rotation.