Herb-Marinated Pork Tenderloins

This was a simple, but quite tasty main course. Because it marinates overnight and then only requires up to 15 min in the oven, this is a nice meal if you know you don't have a lot of time to prepare dinner.

- 1 lemon, zest grated
- 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4-6 lemons)
- good olive oil
- 2 tbsp minced garlic (6 cloves)
- 1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- Kosher Salt
- 3 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
- freshly ground black pepper

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2 tsp salt in a sturdy 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the regrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and discard the marinade but leave the herbs that cling to the meat. Sear the tenderloins on all sides until golden brown. Place the saute pan in the oven and roast the tenderloins for 10-15 min or until the meat registers 137 degrees F at the thickest part. Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 min. Carve in 1/2 in thick slices. The thickest part will be quite pink (that's fine!) and the thinnest part will be well done. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm, or at room temperature with the juices that collect in the platter.

I served this with diced eggplant and a can of fire-roasted tomatoes that had been baked in the oven for about 30 min. With the lemon/garlic flavor of the marinade, I was thinking of sides that had a Greek-flavor to them. Couscous, or roased squash and zucchini, or...