Cast-Iron Pork Tenderloin

With a Cast Iron, your Pork Tenderloin is made simple but still delicious.

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Don’t be afraid of cooking with cast iron. My cast-iron skillet never gets put away, it’s used that often.

The secret to cooking with cast iron is the temperature. On my stove, I heat it with a little olive oil over medium-high heat, and that is plenty hot enough to sear meat. Let the pan cool completely before trying to wash it, then use very hot water (and yes, dish-washing soap) to clean it. A friend had a meltdown when we cleaned his cast-iron skillet with dish-washing soap. A long time ago, soap was made with different ingredients than it typically is now. So, back then, maybe soap wasn’t a good idea to use on a cast-iron skillet, but now it is. Just use a mild soap and don’t let your pan soak in the soapy water for an extended period of time.

This recipe is started on the stove and finished in the oven. The pan-searing seals in the juices, and the oven cooks it through.

Is Cast-Iron Pork Tenderloin Healthy?

This is a lean cut of meat, prepared with healthy spices and just a bit of oil, so yes, this can be considered part of a healthy diet. Serve it alongside vegetables and rice or cauliflower rice stir-fry to round out your plate.

Why cast iron?

Cast iron can get to a high temperature and hold the heat without burning since it’s so heavy-duty. It goes from stovetop to oven seamlessly, so you can pan-sear and then finish in the oven. I keep a cast-iron griddle for pancakes, French toast, and sweet dishes. My sourdough bread turns out perfectly almost every time in my cast-iron Dutch oven. The lid of the Dutch oven doubles as a baking dish for sweet dishes. I save my skillet for fish and fried eggs and the like.

INGREDIENTS

1 pork tenderloin (about 1.1 lb)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat

Get the oven ready at 400°F.

Season

Rub pork with a spice blend.

Sear

Brown pork in a skillet on high.

Roast

Oven-finish pork until proper temp.

Rest

Let pork sit before slicing.

Devour!

FAQs & Tips

How do I prep and store the pork?

This meal can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Be sure to warm it sufficiently (at least 145°F) in the microwave or oven. It can also be cooked, cooled, sliced, and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months, then reheated.

Why is it important to remove the silver skin?

If you don’t remove that sinewy piece, the pork may be tough and chewy, as well as shrink and twist as you cook it. It doesn’t melt like fat does, and cooking at a high temperature means it won’t break down into gelatin either.

How do you know if the pork is cooked well enough?

Rather than go for the ‘old shoe leather’ option of making sure it’s cooked well enough, use a meat thermometer to be sure the internal temperature reaches at least 145-150°F.

Does FFF have other cast-iron recipes?

It sure does. Here is another recipe with pan-seared meat that you can try in your cast-iron skillet: Seared Ahi Tuna Steak.

Serving Suggestions

Serve some sautéed zucchini alongside this, and mushroom cauliflower rice.

Slice it over a green salad with a few fries sprinkled on, or make it Pittsburgh style—that is, charred on the outside and rare on the inside.