I hosted a few ladies from church this past Friday night for a womens ministry event. Instead of opting for having all of us meet at a restaurant, they met at my house for dinner. I made pork roast and potatoes and the other ladies brought the side dishes and dessert. This is the easiest preparation of pork and my all time favorite preparation of potatoes. We had salad, bread, corn casserole and homemade lemon meringue pie alongside…yum!

Pork Tenderloin and Herbed New Potatoes
Recipe Courtesy of Dave Lieberman & Ina Garten

Pork Tenderloin:

• 1 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) pork tenderloin

• Olive oil

• Salt

• Freshly ground pepper

• 1 or 2 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped, plus a few sprigs for garnish

Rub tenderloin with oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for an hour or 2 in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in an oven-safe saute pan over high heat. Sear tenderloin on all sides until nicely colored all over. Transfer pan to oven and roast for 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before thinly slicing on the bias. Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary.

Herbed New Potatoes:

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

• 2 1/2 pounds small white or Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 3 tablespoons chopped mixed fresh green herbs, such as parsley, chives, and dill

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot. Add the whole potatoes, salt, and pepper and toss well. Cover the pot tightly and cook over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender when tested with a small knife. From time to time, shake the pot without removing the lid to prevent the bottom potatoes from burning. Turn off the heat and allow the potatoes to steam for another 5 minutes. Don’t overcook! Toss with the herbs, and serve hot.

Notes: I used pork shoulder roast instead of tenderloin and since it is a thicker piece of meat, I tied up the meat with kitchen twine and allowed the internal temperature to come up to 165 degrees. I still let it rest after coming out of the oven tented with aluminum foil for 10 minutes.