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Buttery Garlic Herb Pork Tenderloin

This tasty pork tenderloin recipe gets its flavor from a dry spice rub and is cooked wrapped in foil. First a brining mixture is made with salt water, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and ice cubes. After brining, the pork is rubbed with a spice mixture, seared and then placed in foil. Lemon juice is drizzled on top and pats of butter are placed on before closing the foil around the pork. Once baked the pork is served with the butter sauce in the bottom of the foil packet.
Course Entree
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Servings 8 people

Ingredients

  • 2 (1 lb each) pieces pork tenderloin
  • ¼ cup salt
  • 4 cups warm water
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 cup ice cubes
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp butter sliced into 6 pats
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Spice mix

  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • ¼ tsp black pepper

Herbs

  • ½ tsp dried parsley
  • ½ tsp dried basil
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp dried thyme

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Lay 2 long pieces of foil on a baking sheet.
  2. In a gallon sized freezer bag, mix salt with warm water until dissolved. Whisk in apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and ice. Then add pork. Brine for 20 minutes (no longer) then remove pork from brine and RINSE and pat dry.
  3. Whisk together the spice mix in a small bowl. Rub the spice mix over the pork. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sear pork until each side is golden, then transfer to foil.
  4. Evenly sprinkle pork with herbs then rub into pork. Evenly drizzle each pork tenderloin with 1 tbsp lemon juice (2 tbsp total), then top each tenderloin with 3 pats of butter. Bring up the sides of foil pieces to completely enclose each tenderloin.
  5. Bake at 400 F until pork registers 145-150 F (15 to 25 min depending on thickness of pork). Carefully unwrap foil.
  6. When done loosen foil to let steam escape. Let stand 5-10 minutes before slicing. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with butter sauce in bottom of foil.