During the holiday season, with so much running around shopping and such, I don't have a lot of extra time to spend in the kitchen. So, I turn to easy dishes like this one: seasoned pork tenderloin that can be prepared and on the table in about a half-hour, with little hands-on attention needed. 

To cook the pork, you first sear it in a hot skillet, then stick it into the oven to finish cooking. 

When I cooked this tenderloin I was only cooking for two people. So, I cut the loin in half and froze one half for another time. The ingredients called for in this recipe are for one 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lb. pork tenderloin. You could also use the same ingredients for a larger loin roast, but the cooking time would be longer, of course. 

Ingredients: 

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander seed
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
1 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lb. boneless pork tenderloin


Method: 

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

Trim the pork tenderloin of all excess fat and silver skin.

In a small bowl, mix together all of the ingredients except the olive oil and pork.


Sprinkle the spice and garlic mixture over the pork on all sides and use your hands to rub it into the pork. Press a little to make sure the rub adheres to the pork. 


In a large, oven-proof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until just smoking. 

Brown the tenderloin in the skillet, turning to brown on all sides and ends, about 5-6 minutes, total. 


Transfer the skillet with the pork to the preheated oven.


Cook the pork in the oven until the tenderloin reaches 145 degrees F. This will usually take 15-20 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the tenderloin.

Transfer the tenderloin to a carving board and tent loosely with tinfoil. Allow the pork to rest 10 minutes.

Cut the pork into 1/2-inch slices and serve.

Photos by Ted Scheffler