After holidays or vacations, Greg and I are looking to take off a few extra pounds by eating a lower-carb diet. This is one of his favorite recipes that doesn’t taste or look like standard diet fare. Even though it takes a few minutes longer to prepare than grilling a chicken breast, I think it is worth it!

I often serve this with oven roasted asparagus. If you aren’t on a diet, do try serving this with herbed polenta or a cheesy potatoes au gratin. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 1 18-oz. pork tenderloin
  • 6-7  fresh basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup of julienned sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained
  • 1/4 cup of goat cheese or cream cheese
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground pepper

Directions

  1. Position your oven rack on the tier closest to the broiler and preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Trim the pork tenderloin of the excess fat*. Make a lengthwise cut down the center of the tenderloin, cutting to, but not through, the other side.
  3. Spread the meat flat. Place the tenderloin between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound the meat lightly with the flat side of a meat mallet into a rectangular shape.
  4. Spread the goat cheese evenly over the tenderloin. Top the tenderloin with the sundried tomatoes and basil leaves.
  5. Roll the tenderloin, bringing the long ends together. Tie the meat with butcher’s twine at 1 1/2″ intervals.
  6. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the meat and brown the tenderloin evenly on all sides.
  7. Finish cooking in the preheated oven until the meat is tender and slightly pink (160 degrees F / 70 degrees C) and juices run clear.
  8. Wrap the tenderloin in foil for five minutes and let rest. Transfer the roast to a warm platter, remove the strings, and slice into 1 to 1 1/2-inch thick slices.

*To remove the fat, slip the tip of your knife under the silvery skin and start slicing back and forth with the sharp edge of the blade angled upward, keeping the membrane tight as you are cutting. Continue to slice the skin off in this manner until all the skin is removed. If this shiny membrane layer is not removed, it will shrink during cooking. This will result in an odd-shaped roast that might not be cooked evenly.