Pork Tenderloin with Honey-Goat Cheese Sauce

I love this blog. I love that we’ve kept up with it for a few years now. I love that I can look back on some of the fun dishes we’ve made and especially that I have a record to refer to when I want to remake a recipe. What I don’t love? Actually writing these posts. I feel like I don’t have all that much to say. And that I frequently say the same thing over and over! (“This dish is amazing!” 🙄🙄) But even though the blog is more for us as a culinary diary than for anyone else, I still feel like I have to say something each time, instead of just posting the recipe. Oh well – we can’t all be brilliant and insightful all the time!

This dish came together quickly and easily. Definitely do-able on a weeknight. I may or may not have set off the smoke detector while searing the pork, despite having the vent hood on high, but otherwise it took me less than a half hour from prep to serving. One tip: keep the goat cheese sauce warm and stir frequently until serving. When goat cheese sauces like this start to cool, they get a little gritty. Still tastes good, but the texture is less desirable. Speaking of tastes good… For some reason I always want a sweet and savory combo when eating pork like this. Just me? This fits the bill, as does pretty much every other pork recipe we’ve shared here (see: Maple & Mustard Pork with Shallots, Pork Tenderloin with Fig Chutney, Braised Balsamic Pork with Grapes).

 
Pork Tenderloin with Honey-Goat Cheese Sauce

(Sauce adapted from Half Baked Harvest)

Ingredients:

• ~1lb pork tenderloin
• Salt & pepper
• 6oz goat cheese, room temperature
• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 tsp Aleppo pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Season all sides of the tenderloin with salt and pepper. Sear all sides in a cast iron skillet over high heat for just 1-2 minutes on each side.
2. Once the tenderloin is seared, move it in the skillet to the hot oven for ~15 minutes. (You want an internal temperature of 145 degrees, at minimum.)
3. Whisk together the remaining ingredients (or combine in food processor). Heat in a small saucepan over low heat while the pork is cooking.
4. Allow the pork to rest for ~5 minutes before slicing. (If you prefer pork on the medium-rare side, remove it at an internal temp of 135-140, since it will cook a little more while resting.) Serve with sauce on top!

Serves 3-4