Rosemary, Citrus, Garlic Pork Tenderloin with Red Pepper and Chickpeas
Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4-6
servings15
minutes45
minutesI love this recipe. I have made it many times and change it up. This is easy and perfect for company. My family really enjoys this. If you can and have time, start with high quality dried chickpeas. Soak overnight in a pan with a lid filled with water and about 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar. The next day, dump the water and cover again with more water, add a garlic clove or two and a bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then turn heat down a tad and simmer for about 1-1 1/2 hours until tender, not mushy. Discard garlic and bayleaf. You can strain the liquid and keep for a vegan broth or toss. Allow chickpeas to dry out a little before cooking. If this is not of interest, chickpeas out of a can work as well.
Ingredients
2 boneless pork tenderloins, about 2-2 1/2 lbs total
1/4 cup olive oil
5 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed from 3 and chopped
Lemon zest from 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup dried chickpeas prepared as stated above or 1 can(19oz) rinsed and drained
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 cup jared roasted red peppers
Fresh parsley, chopped
Directions
- Turn oven to 425. Line a rimmed baking sheet with 2-3 layers of parchment paper. Place the pork tenderloins next to each other but leave about an inch between the two. Salt and pepper the two loins then sprinkle the fresh zest over each loin and chop up the lemon to arrange around the pork. Sprinkle with some of the chopped rosemary. Drizzle with 1 Tablespoon olive oil.
- In a bowl, mix the chickpeas with the roasted red peppers. the peppers might need to be torn apart so they are bite size. Add the garlic, rosemary sprigs and some of the fresh chopped rosemary, salt and pepper. Drizzle in remaining olive oil and scatter around pork loins.
- Place in oven and cook for 45 minutes. Check the temperature to make sure it is registering on a digital instant read thermometer 160. It should have a little crust on top, so if it doesn’t, turn heat up to 450 for 5-8 minutes. Remove from oven and cover lightly with foil.
- When ready, serve with couscous, brown rice or polenta. I made Swiss Chard to go with it and sautéed the chard with the rest of the red peppers and some rough chopped garlic. I used a splash of white wine to finish the dish. Sprinkle with parsley and serve on warm plates.
