Pork Tenderloin with Tomatillo Salsa and White Beans

In Rick Bayless's Salsas That Cook, there is a Sunday dinner worthy recipe for roast pork loin simmered in a tomatillo salsa and white bean sauce. The flavors are a revelation; the meaty pork loin, spicy tomatillo salsa, and creamy white beans are a brilliant combination.

I love that recipe, but I never make it anymore. My adapted version is this quick weeknight recipe. Instead of long-cooking pork loin, I use pork tenderloin. The tomatillo salsa and white beans make a quick pan sauce, and the whole thing finishes in the oven.

When I'm prepared, and my freezer is stocked, this is a homemade recipe. I'll have homemade tomatillo salsa and beans in the freezer. When my stock of homemade ingredients is dwindling, canned beans and store bought tomatillo salsa* come to the rescue. Either way, this is a remarkably easy recipe - brown the pork, dump the can of salsa and the drained beans, heat through, and it is ready to eat.
*My preference is for Rick's Frontera Tomatillo Salsa, out of loyalty to the original recipe.

Looking for a weeknight Mexican recipe, one with a different flavor profile than the usual taco night? Give this recipe a try.

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Pork Tenderloin with Tomatillo Salsa and White Beans

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• Author: Mike Vrobel
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Description

Seared pork tenderloins finished in the oven in a sauce of tangy tomatillo salsa and white beans - a quick weeknight one-pan dinner.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon table salt)
• 2 cups tomatillo salsa (homemade, or 16 ounces good store-bought salsa)
• 2 cups white beans, drained and rinsed (homemade, or one 15 ounce can)

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Instructions

1. Season the pork: Heat the oven to 400°F. Pat the tenderloins dry, trim off the silver skin if you like, and sprinkle with the salt.
2. Sear the pork: Heat the oil in a 12 inch oven-safe frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the tenderloins, and sear for 3 minutes, until well browned. Turn them a third of the way over, sear 3 minutes, then turn and sear a final 3 minutes. (Tenderloins have three "sides.") Move to a plate.
3. Add the salsa and beans: Add the salsa and beans to the pan, and stir, scraping up the browned bits. When it simmers, return the pork to the pan, nestling it into the sauce.
4. Roast: Move the pan to the oven (careful, it's heavy), and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the thickest part of the pork reaches 145°F.
5. Rest and serve: Move the pork to a cutting board, and rest for 5 minutes. Spoon the salsa and beans onto a platter, slice the pork ½ inch thick, and serve it on top.

Equipment

12-inch frypan

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Notes

Equipment: A 12 inch oven-safe frying pan, or a wide Dutch oven.

Stovetop version: Instead of moving the pan to the oven, cover it, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, turning the pork occasionally, until it reaches 145°F.

Spice rubbed pork: Add ½ teaspoon chili powder and ½ teaspoon ground cumin with the salt.

Other salsas and beans: Use your favorites - chipotle salsa and black beans are especially good.

Serve with white rice, tortillas or tortilla chips, and a green salad.

Inspired by Rick Bayless's Salsas That Cook.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes

What do you think? Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.

Related Posts:
Tomatillo Salsa
Pan Seared Flank Steak with Tomatillo Pan Sauce

Adapted from:
Salsas That Cook : Using Classic Salsas To Enliven Our Favorite Dishes

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