Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Dill Sauce

For Christmas, my dad got me this countertop, hydroponic herb garden.

Three months later, I’m overrun with mint and dill.

I’ve been tailoring my recipes over the last two weeks to use up the excess. I’m convinced dill can grow to be as tall as me (and that’s 6 foot tall!). It just will not stop growing. My mint, on the other hand, grows outwards. I’ve basically got a mint bush on my kitchen counter right now. Mint is a lot harder to use than dill, so I’m working on cutting back the dill at the moment.

Thankfully, I love dill. I like to use it in my eggs (dilly eggs!), salads, chicken, fish, pork—you name it. Dill is great for pickling (obviously) and a wonderful garnish. It’s one of the most versatile herbs on the planet. I highly recommend growing it if you can…and if you can stand to see it get out of control.

I’ve been lacking a good pork tenderloin in my meal rotation lately so I decided to use my dill for that. I like fresh tenderloin from my butcher, but they didn’t have any this weekend so I had to go for the bagged kind. If you’re doing that, look closely at the ingredients. Sometimes the bagged tenderloin can be loaded with salt or sugar. You also need to make sure you aren’t getting a flavored tenderloin like dijon or herb.

This tenderloin cooked beautifully. It was, as the name implies, incredibly tender. The dill sauce, made with pan drippings, was the perfect accompaniment. I’ve been munching on the tenderloin for lunch this week and I crave it in the mornings.

Pork is easy to make, but it’s easy to overcook. For decades, the national standard internal cooking temperature for pork was 170 degrees. At that temperature, you end up with tough and dry meat. The national standard has recently gone down to 145 degrees—a BIG difference. I cook my tenderloing to 135 and then tent it with foil and leave it on the countertop for 10 minutes. Letting the meat rest means the temperature will go up another 10 degrees by the time it’s done.

If you’re looking for something unique to make for dinner tonight—that isn’t a handful to make—this recipe is the one.

Enjoy!

Step-By-Step Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Meanwhile, melt butter and oil in a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven. Add pork tenderloin and sear on all sides until browned, about 8-9 minutes. Transfer pan to the oven and roast for 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 135 degrees. Carefully take pork out of pan and place in a large baking dish. Tent with foil and let meat rest for 10 minutes, until a meat thermometer registers 145 degrees.

While meat is resting, place pan back on the stovetop on medium heat. Pour in chicken broth and use a spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in sour cream, garlic and dill. Let mixture come to a simmer.

Let simmer for 4-5 minutes until sauce is slightly thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve pork with dill sauce and fresh dill.