We are already getting into back to school mode and I hate that. Seems like the summer just started. School doesn’t start for another few weeks, but my daughter has already begun her high school swim practice, which makes it seem like the school year has started.
Being a parent is of course always a challenge. But it’s interesting how the challenges change so much with the age of your children. Now that my kids are both teenagers, I have so many more freedoms, but at the same time they have more freedoms too, which makes planning things ahead of time extremely difficult. I am no longer completely in charge of their schedules making it especially hard to plan meals ahead of time. There’s just no telling who is going to be around for dinner.
A nicely marinated pork tenderloin paired with a flavorful fruit salsa is one of my favorite weeknight meals. It’s healthy, appealing to a wide range of tastes, and super easy to make. Even better, it can be saved and reheated for those times you thought your kids would be home for dinner, but it turns out they had plans. I especially love this salsa with super sweet nectarines paired with silky, smooth avocado. Nectarines and avocados are 2 of my very favorite ingredients.
Pork tenderloin, if cooked correctly, can be a wonderfully tender, juicy cut of meat. The trick is cooking it correctly. The number one mistake when it comes to cooking pork tenderloin is overcooking. A couple of years ago, the US Department of Agriculture lowered the safe cooking temperature for pork from 160º to 145º. That means the pork should still be a little pink in the middle when it is cooked.
To ensure you cook the pork properly, use a kitchen thermometer. Note: Ground pork should still be cooked to 160º. No one likes overcooked, dry, chewy pork tenderloin. Today’s pork is so much leaner which means you have little margin for error when it comes to pork doneness.
Pork Tenderloin with Nectarine Avocado Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 pork tenderloin
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 nectarines, pitted and diced
- 1 avocado, pitted and diced
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- 1/3 cup canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2-3 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons cilantro
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Place soy sauce through garlic powder in a medium bowl and whisk together. Place in a large zip top bag along with tenderloin. Marinate in refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400º.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork tenderloin, discarding marinade, and sear on all sides. Place in oven for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Combine nectarines through pinch of salt in a medium bowl.
- Let pork rest for 10 minutes and then cut into slices and serve with salsa.
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More Pork Tenderloin Recipes
Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Strawberry
Slow Cooker Five Spice Pork with Sugar Snap Peas
I LOVE pork with sweet toppings! And fruit and avocado salsas! YUM!
This sounds so flavorful with all of those spices and that fruity salsa. This is right up my alley!
YUM!
I don’t even eat pork, but I’m loving the avocado salsa. Heavenly.
Nectarine and avocado salsa sounds so yum!!!!
Wow – what a great combo! totally unique!
I’m not the biggest fan of pork, but you made it look amazing with this recipe. I love the nectarine salsa, I’m sure it adds the nicest of touchs to the meat. I can’t wait to try it, I’m sure it’s amazing over chicken too… although your piece of pork tenderloin looked actually great, I might give pork another chance 😉