If you think pork is boring, you’re doing it wrong. This Keto herb pork tenderloin recipe has tons of flavor thanks to a special herb paste.
Why You Should Be Partial to Pork
Stick with Keto for long enough and you might get tired of meat and poultry. Chicken, turkey, beef, and steak. All good, but they can all get old too.
That’s one reason you should consider eating more pork.
Pork is a great source of protein. A 3.5 oz serving scores you around 26 grams of protein, a solid amount.
It’s got all nine of the essential amino acids your body needs. Known as the building blocks of life, you definitely want to make sure your stock doesn’t get depleted.
Pork can also hook your body up with some important vitamins and minerals, namely thiamine, selenium, phosphorus, riboflavin, iron, and vitamins B6 and B12.
Did you know that pork is the most widely consumed meat around the world? If more people in the U.S. knew of its benefits (and this recipe!) they might just eat more of it!
Why This Tenderloin is Special
If you’ve had one pork tenderloin, you’ve had them all right? Wrong.
For one thing, this recipe is Keto, dairy-free, and devoid of unhealthy overly processed oils (we’re looking at you, canola). It’s also really tasty.
The X-factor is in the herb paste. This magical blend of ingredients pairs perfectly with the pork, and you’ll have to work hard to keep yourself from going back for seconds.
A food processor is really handy in making the herb paste, which starts with toasted pine nuts. Those will be blended together with garlic, basil, parsley, olive oil, lemon, and nutritional yeast.
If you’re not familiar with nutritional yeast, it’s an odd flakey substance that makes things taste cheesy. Amazingly, nutritional yeast contains no dairy, so I add it to a lot of recipes that would benefit from cheese flavor.
In this recipe, the yeast is a perfect companion to the toasty pine nuts and oil.
Once you’ve made this take on tenderloin, I promise you you’ll never look back!
More Pork Recipes
Your relationship with pork doesn’t have to be limited to tenderloin. Ham, bacon, pork chops, ribs, and more are perfectly fine for Keto.
And in even better news, there are lots of artfully made pork recipes out there catering to your ketogenic diet.
To make the herb paste, start by toasting the pine nuts in a hot, dry pan. Remove the toasted pine nuts and add to a mini food processor along with the garlic, basil, parsley, nutritional yeast flakes, and olive oil. Combine to create a smooth paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl several times. Season with lemon juice and salt, to taste. Set aside.
For the pork, preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C).
Season the pork tenderloin with salt and freshly ground black pepper on all sides. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick pan and brown the tenderloin on all sides. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, use a palette knife or small silicone spatula and spread the reserved herb paste on all sides of the pork tenderloin. Place tenderloin into a casserole dish with a well-fitting lid and bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest before slicing and serving. If desired, serve with any additional herb paste.
Notes
All nutritional data are estimated and based on per serving amounts.
Louise co-founded Louise's Foods, Paleo Living Magazine, Nourishing Brands, & CoBionic. She has considerable research experience but enjoys creating products and articles that help move people just a little bit closer toward a healthy life they love.
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