This herb-crusted pork tenderloin with bacon sherry vinaigrette is an elegant all-in-one dinner with juicy pork, fresh rosemary and thyme, tender roasted potatoes, and a warm, tangy bacon vinaigrette spooned over everything.
I first made this recipe in May 2010 after adapting it from Charlie Trotter, and I still remember that not a crumb was left on the plates. If you enjoy cooking pork tenderloin, my quick pan-seared pork tenderloin is another simple way to prepare this wonderfully tender cut of pork.
Recipe Overview: Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Bacon Sherry Vinaigrette
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Servings: 4 people
- Cook Method: Pan-seared, then oven-roasted
- Flavor & Texture: Juicy, tender pork with fragrant fresh herbs, savory crisp bacon, tangy sherry vinaigrette, and tender roasted potatoes.
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate. The individual steps are simple, but timing the pork and potatoes together requires a little coordination.
- Why this Recipe? It gives you an elegant complete dinner of pork, potatoes, and a flavorful warm vinaigrette in one recipe.
What makes this dish especially delicious is the contrast of flavors. The fresh herbs create a fragrant crust around the pork, while the sherry vinegar cuts through the richness of the bacon and brings the pork and potatoes beautifully together.
In this Article
- Recipe Overview: Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Bacon Sherry Vinaigrette
- A Note From Giangi
- Key Ingredients
- How To Make Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin
- Giangi’s Pro Tips
- What to Serve with Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin
- Storage and Reheating
- More Side Dishes You Will Love
- Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Bacon Sherry Vinaigrette
A Note From Giangi
Key Ingredients
Pork tenderloin is lean, naturally tender, and quick to cook. Explain the importance of removing the silver skin before cooking.
Fresh rosemary and thyme: These contribute much of the herb crust’s fragrance and savory flavor. Rosemary is a wonderful partner for pork. If you enjoy that combination, my pork chops with mustard and rosemary sauce are another delicious way to use it.
Flat-leaf parsley adds freshness to both the pork and potatoes without overpowering the rosemary and thyme.
Bacon: use good, meaty bacon, as both the crispy bacon and the rendered fat become part of the vinaigrette.
Sherry vinegar: this ingredient deserves special attention. Its acidity balances the bacon fat and olive oil, keeping the vinaigrette from becoming heavy.
Potatoes: I love using Yukon Gold potatoes or gold fingerlings in this dish. Cut them into similarly sized pieces so they roast evenly.
How To Make Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin
Step 1: Cook the bacon until crisp. Reserve some of the rendered bacon fat and combine it with the olive oil, sherry vinegar, and shallot.
Step 2: Rub the tenderloin with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then coat it with rosemary, thyme, and parsley.
Step 3: Sear it in an oven-safe skillet until nicely browned on every side.
Step 4: Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the center reaches the proper temperature.
Step 5: Toss the potatoes with olive oil, parsley, salt, and pepper and roast until tender and golden.
Step 6: Allow the tenderloin to rest before slicing.
Step 7: Arrange the pork and potatoes on the platter and spoon the bacon sherry vinaigrette over both.
Giangi’s Pro Tips
- Remove the silver skin from the tenderloin before cooking.
- Bring the pork closer to room temperature before searing.
- Pat the pork dry before adding the olive oil and herbs.
- Chop the herbs finely so they adhere evenly.
- Use an oven-safe skillet so you can move directly from stovetop to oven.
- Cut the potatoes uniformly so they finish cooking at approximately the same time.
- Let the pork rest before slicing so you retain more of its juices.
- Use an instant-read thermometer rather than relying exclusively on cooking time. The USDA recommends that pork steaks, chops, and roasts reach 145°F.
What to Serve with Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin
The roasted potatoes already make this pork tenderloin a complete dinner, but I like adding something green alongside it. A spinach salad with warm bacon dressing carries the bacon flavors through the meal, giving you fresh greens.
If you want to serve the pork without the potatoes from this recipe, the crispy roasted rosemary potatoes would be an especially natural pairing, since rosemary is already used in the herb crust.
Storage and Reheating
Store: Refrigerate cooled pork and potatoes in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
Reheat: Reheat gently to prevent the tenderloin from drying out. You can cover it and warm it in a low oven, adding a little vinaigrette or broth for moisture.
Vinaigrette: Store separately if possible, then bring it closer to room temperature or warm it gently before serving.
More Side Dishes You Will Love
If you tried this Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Bacon Sherry Vinaigrette or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below.
Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Bacon Sherry Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 4 ounces bacon strips, cut into julienne strips
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup sherry wine Vinegar
- 1 Shallot, finely diced
- ¼ cup thyme, Chopped
- ¼ cup rosemary, Chopped
- ½ cup flat-leaf parsley, Chopped
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 pounds potatoes, quartered
- 2 pounds pork tenderloin
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a small sauté pan over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until crispy. Place the bacon and ¼ cup of the rendered bacon fat in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil, vinegar and shallots and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 375ᵒ.
- Rub the pork with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Coat the pork with thyme, rosemary, and ¼ cup of the parsley.
- Place in a hot oven proof sauté pan with the canola oil and sear for 5 minutes on each side.
- Place the pan in the oven and roast in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile place the potatoes in a roasting pan and toss with the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle the remaining parsley over the potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and roast alongside the tenderloin for 20 minutes, or until tender.
- Remove the tenderloin from the oven, let it rest for 10 minutes and then cut into ¼ inch thick slices.
- Spoons some of the potatoes on one side of the dish and layer the pork slices in an overlapping patters next to the potatoes.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette over the meat and potatoes.
Notes
- Remove the silver skin from the tenderloin before cooking.
- Bring the pork closer to room temperature before searing.
- Pat the pork dry before adding the olive oil and herbs.
- Chop the herbs finely so they adhere evenly.
- Use an oven-safe skillet so you can move directly from stovetop to oven.
- Cut the potatoes uniformly so they finish cooking at approximately the same time.
- Let the pork rest before slicing so you retain more of its juices.
- Use an instant-read thermometer rather than relying exclusively on cooking time. The USDA recommends pork steaks, chops, and roasts reach 145°F.
Nutrition
Giangi’s Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.
- Course: Dinners, Pork, Sunday Night Dinner
- Cuisine: American, French
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