Baked Pork Tenderloin

• servings: 4 servings
• total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound; or double the recipe to cook 2 tenderloins)

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon brown sugar (light or dark)

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (for less heat, substitute regular chili powder)

1 tablespoon canola oil

Directions

Cut

Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. With a sharp knife, cut away and discard the silver skin (tough membrane) from the pork.

Stir

In a small bowl, combine the paprika, brown sugar, salt, cumin, mustard, black pepper, and chipotle powder in a bowl.

Heat a cast-iron pan or similar oven-safe, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the oil and let it warm up for another minute or two.

Coat the pork tenderloin on all sides with the spice rub.

Sear

Once the oil is hot, sear the pork on all sides (be careful to lower the pork into the pan away from you in case of oil splatters). You’ll need about 2 to 3 minutes per side—it can get a bit smoky, so turn on your fan (or open the windows if you don't have one). The pork should have a nice crust but not be all the way cooked through.

Bake

Transfer the pan to the oven. Bake the pork tenderloin until the internal temperature reaches 135°F on an instant read thermometer, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate, cover, and let rest at least 10 minutes (pork is considered safe to eat at 145°F, but its internal temperature will continue to rise as it rests). Slice the pork into 1-inch medallions. Serve warm, with pan juices spooned over the top.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 (of 4)
• Calories: 189 kcal
• Total Fat: 8 g
• Saturated Fat: 2 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
• Trans Fat: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 74 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 5 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1 g
• Total Sugars: 3 g
• Protein: 24 g