Pork Tenderloin with Salsa Verde and Roasted Pepper Sauce
How Spain's fiery red and deep green condiments create a juicer, brighter, punchier pork tenderloin.
- Makes4 to 6 servings
- Cook Time45 minutes
- Active time plus cooling20 minutes active
- 5
In “MoVida Rustica,” Barcelona-born, Melbourne-based chef Frank Camorra and food writer Richard Cornish grill or fry sliced pork loin and serve it accompanied by a duo of no-cook, Spanish-inflected sauces, one green, the other red. Inspired by that recipe, we created this pan-roasted take. Instead of sliced loin, we sear whole pork tenderloins in a skillet on the stovetop, then slide the pan into the oven to finish, a technique that achieves flavorful caramelization on the exterior of the meat and allows the interior to cook perfectly. As for the sauces, the first is a garlicky salsa verde made with a little finely grated Manchego, Spain’s buttery sheep’s milk cheese, to lend a pesto-like creaminess. If you prefer, pecorino Romano is a fine substitute. The second sauce features sweet Spanish piquillo peppers, as well as warm, smoky spices. Look for jarred piquillo peppers in well-stocked grocery stores (a 9-ounce jar of piquillos contains enough for the recipe); if not available, regular roasted red peppers work nicely. And to boost the sauce’s richness and provide body, we add toasted almonds. Both sauces can be made a day in advance and refrigerated, but bring to room temperature before serving.
Don’t use a skillet that’s not oven-safe. The skillet goes into the oven after the pork is seared on the stovetop, so it needs to be oven-safe to 450°F. Be sure to rest the pork before slicing. If cut too soon, juices will run all over the cutting board, making the meat bland and dry.
Step 1
Heat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the middle position. In a small bowl, stir together 1 teaspoon of the cumin, 1 teaspoon of the paprika and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Rub the mixture all over the pork; set aside.
Step 2
In a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium, toast the almonds, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; set aside. Reserve the skillet.
Step 3
In a food processor, combine the parsley, oregano, Manchego, 4 of the garlic cloves, the fennel seeds, lemon juice and ½ teaspoon salt. Process until finely chopped, about 1 minute. With the machine running, stream in ⅔ cup of the oil; process until smooth, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer to a small serving bowl; set aside.
Step 4
Wipe out the food processor bowl and return it to the base. Add the piquillo peppers, toasted almonds, 2 remaining garlic cloves, remaining 1 teaspoon cumin, remaining 1 teaspoon paprika and ¼ teaspoon salt. With the machine running, stream in ⅓ cup of the remaining oil; process until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to another small serving bowl; set aside.
Step 5
In the same skillet over medium-high, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until shimmering. Add the pork and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the center of the thickest piece reaches 135°F or is just slightly pink when cut into, 9 to 12 minutes.
Step 6
Remove the skillet from the oven (the handle will be hot). Using tongs, transfer the pork to a platter; tent with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board. Slice crosswise into ½-inch pieces and return to the platter. Serve with the sauces.
