Rosemary Dijon Pork Tenderloin with Tomato Pie and Fried Cabbage

This has always been a go to cut of meat for me. It is super inexpensive, but provides a nice adhesive base to coat with any marinade you desire. The recipe for today is one that I remember from my childhood – we used to make all the time. Since  I was home for the holidays, I was craving to cook it. It is super simple –  the wet rub can be assembled in no time and even done in advance. We paired the pork with an easy tomato pie and some classic southern fried cabbage.

For this recipe (including the tomato pie and fried cabbage) give yourself up to 3 hours for prep, marinating and cooking time. First up is the wet rub for the pork tenderloin.

Makes enough for a 1.5 pound tenderloin (can be done in advanced):

2 tablespoons of dijon mustard

1.5 tablespoons of finely diced red onion

1 tablespoon of fresh minced garlic

1 tablespoon of fresh or dry rosemary – if dry wake it up by rubbing/crushing first

1 teaspoon of cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon of salt

Make sure your tenderloin has been trimmed of any silver skin and excess fat (keeping a little around will provide some extra flavor so don’t be too meticulous). Then take the wet marinade and rub it all of the pork.

The pork can now be returned to the fridge to set for a few hours or can sit out at room temperature if you are grilling within the hour. Always make sure any meat you are grilling has reached room temperature before throwing it on the heat.

Next up is the prep for the tomato pie. For the pie all you need is the rolled store-bought pie dough, a can of crushed tomatoes, minced garlic and a teaspoon of thyme. Bake off your pie dough for about 8 minutes in the oven at 425 degrees, with fork punctures in the bottom to avoid it puffing up. Then let it  cool.

Empty the contents of the canned tomatoes in a colander to drain off the excess liquid and combine with the minced garlic and thyme. Add this to the cooled pie mold and move on to the easy topping.

The topping consists of a couple tablespoons of mayonnaise and shredded cheese. Mix these together and top the assembled pie. Crack some black pepper on top and this is ready for the oven. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

Along with the pork and tomato pie we did some fried cabbage. Cut the cabbage into strips and sauté in bacon grease with salt and pepper. This is a staple for me any time of year, but especially on New Year Day. On the first, I will actually be cooking this exact meal, but replacing the tomato pie with some black eyed peas.

Finally we are ready to grill the pork tenderloin. Cooked at medium-high heat, it will take about 18 minutes to get to a nice 140 degrees. After removing from the oven,  let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes and you are ready to carve. The pork will continue to cook during the rest, so keep that in mind if you are shooting for a certain temperature.

Just recently the USDA changed the ‘safe to eat’ temperature for pork, dropping from 160 degrees to 145 degrees. I would recommend getting as close to 145 degrees as you can, even if you have been on the 160 train for a while. This leaves you with a very moist and tender loin that is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

We paired this with a soft red, something that isn’t overly bold and doesn’t overshadow the rest of the meal. I would suggest a Pinot Noir, Chardonnay or Zinfandel. Now for the final plate.

Cheers!