Herb Grilled Pork Tenderloin

The weather is beautiful tonight and we're barbequing outside, but you can easily roast this in the oven. Jeff also grilled a butternut squash for salad, and I'm making Southern-style Coleslaw for the leftover pork tomorrow at lunch. Two very different sides, both yummy! The marinade is modified from an Ina Garten recipe. Serves 4.

1# pork tenderloin
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 TB EVOO
2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
1 TB fresh rosemary leaves, finely minced
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely minced
1 tsp original Dijon mustard, or Colman's reconstituted (1 tsp dry mustard + 1 tsp cold water, mix & let sit for 10 min)
3/4 tsp kosher salt

Remember to increase your marinade quantities if your tenderloin is 1-1/4 lb or more. Mix all of the ingredients except the pork in a large ziploc bag. I put the bag in a bowl, like this, so I can thoroughly stir everything together without dirtying a measuring cup or bowl:

Put the pork tenderloin in the bag (I cut mine in half only so it fits better, just remember to reduce your cooking time if you do so), squeeze out the air, squish it around to cover the pork with the garlic and herbs, and let it marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. Squish the marinade around again, and turn it over to marinate for another 30-60 minutes while your barbeque coals are getting ready.

Discard the marinade but don't wipe off any of the bits on the meat. Sprinkle with salt & freshly ground black pepper. Grill, turning to brown each side, about 20 minutes total if it's all in one piece, until an instant meat thermometer in the very center reads 138-140*F. Remove to a plate, cover tightly with aluminum foil and rest for 10 minutes before slicing. It'll be well done at the ends and medium-rare (pink but not bloody) in the middle.

If you're roasting it in the oven, preheat to 400*F and roast on the center rack, cover and rest for about the same length of time; use a meat thermometer to check the temp.