Herb-Marinated Pork Tenderloin and Broccoli with Toasted Bread Crumbs

 We're back from St. Thomas!  I meant to warn everyone that we were going in the first place, but I was so busy at work clearing off my desk before the trip that I forgot all about it.  Oops.  But we are back now and I promise that more posts will be coming soon.  Luckily I have one queued up and ready to go!  We made this pork tenderloin and broccoli dish last Thursday night before we left for St. Thomas, but seeing as we left bright and early Friday morning I haven't had time to post about it yet.

This recipe was an attempt by me to use up some of the proteins in our freezer, along with the herbs and vegetables left in our fridge before we left for vacation.  I'm on a massive project to empty out our freezer, so our next few meals are going to be dictated by what is already in there (chicken breasts and swordfish are up next).  We had some broccoli left over from one of our last grocery shopping trips so we decided to serve that as the side.  We used to make this broccoli all the time, but for some reason we haven't made it in awhile.  Actually, we haven't been making broccoli very much at all lately.  I'm trying to change that.  But I love the addition of toasted panko bread crumbs and garlic to the broccoli.  It really livens it up a bit.  Anyway, back to the pork.  Marinating it in the lemon, evoo and herb mixture overnight left it very lemony and moist.  The pork had really good flavor - you could definitely taste the oregano, thyme and garlic.  I thought it was really nice.  If you wanted to you could use a different mixture of herbs - I think rosemary and thyme would be nice, or you could easily substitute dried herbs instead of fresh.  All in all, it's just a really nice American family meal.  There are no bells and whistles, but sometimes simple is the way to go.

Recipes after the jump!

Herb-Marinated Pork Tenderloin

INGREDIENTS:

zest of half a lemon

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup evoo, plus 1 tbsp

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 tsp fresh thyme, minced

1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped

1 tsp Dijon mustard

kosher salt

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 1/2 lb)

freshly ground black pepper

Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/4 cup evoo, garlic, herbs, Dijon mustard, and 2 tsp salt in a sturdy 1-gallon resealable plastic bag.  Add the pork tenderloin and turn to coat with marinade.  Squeeze out the air and seal the bag.  Marinate pork in the refrigerator overnight, turning meat at least once.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.

Remove tenderloin from marinade and pat dry. Season generously with s&p. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown tenderloin on all sides, turning with tongs, about 3 minutes total. Transfer skillet to oven and roast pork until thermometer inserted diagonally into center of meat registers 140 degrees F, 10-12 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 10 minutes.

Cut on the bias in 1/2-inch thick slices.

Broccoli with Toasted Bread Crumbs

INGREDIENTS:

1 large bunch broccoli, cut into 2-inch florets (about 3 cups) 

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbsp evoo

1/3 cup panko 

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp lemon zest (optional - we left it out this time but we often add it)

Add broccoli and 1/4 cup water to a large saute pan with a lid.  Heat over high heat for 3-4 minutes, until broccoli is just tender.  Remove broccoli from the saute pan and rinse with cold water.  Set aside.  Pour off any remaining water in the saute pan.

Return saute pan to moderate heat.  Add evoo.  Once oil is hot, cook garlic, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 1-2 minutes.  Stir in panko, pepper, and salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until crumbs are golden, about 3 minutes.  If mixture looks dry at any point, add additional evoo.  If desired, add lemon zest.  Add broccoli to crumb mixture in skillet and toss to coat. 

Sprinkle with sea salt and serve.