Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Did You Know? It’s best to let meat “rest” after cooking. Don’t worry, the meat isn’t tired, it just needs a chance for its juices to redistribute, which will help the meat retain its moisture and flavor when sliced.

Excerpted from Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens, by Jennifer Schaertl, with permissions from Health Communications, Inc. (c) 2010. The following excerpt can be found on Pages 118 to 119. 

Cutting through the savory outside crust reveals a moist apricot-filling making this a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds. Serve it with roasted vegetables and Espagnole sauce for a standing ovation from even a crappy audience. SERVES 4

• 1/4 cup minced fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup minced fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
• 1 whole pork tenderloin, about a pound
• Sea salt to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1 pound dried apricots, quartered
• 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss the thyme, rosemary and sage together in a small bowl, set aside. Season the pork with salt and pepper. In another bowl, combine the apricots with the minced garlic and parsley. Place the pork on the cutting board. Insert your bread knife into the short end of the tenderloin. Hold the pork steady with one hand lying flat on top of it, and carefully slice through the center of the pork lengthwise, creating a tunnel of sorts.

2. Stuff the garlicky apricot pieces into one end of the tenderloin tunnel until they start coming out he other side. Store any leftover stuffing in an airtight container in the fridge, and it will stay good for a week. Completely cover the outside of the pork with the herb mixture.