The calendar is saying winter, but the temperature is saying SPRING! Today was so warm that I felt like I needed to bring a little summer vibe to my black lentils, and chimichurri sauce was just the ticket. Vibrant and spicy, this Argentinian sauce tastes amazing with beef or pork. Although the meats are usually grilled, I roasted the pork in the oven and it was, honestly, perfection.
Why I love this recipe: The black lentils make this recipe super filling, but paired with the lean tenderloin, it's not going to make you feel grossly stuffed afterwards. Oh, and it's insanely inexpensive to make! If you have vegetable oil and extra virgin olive oil at home, the rest of the ingredients will run you about $12-$15 total and will give you about three servings. 5 dollars per plate? YES PLEASE. And you'll have more dried lentils left over for more meals!
Ingredients
1 cup black lentils
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (or water)
1 small bunch of carrots, scrubbed and tops trimmed
Vegetable oil
1 lb pork tenderloin, fat trimmed
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Chimichurri Sauce
1 cup fresh parsley
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh oregano (optional)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1-2 jalapeños, seeds removed
4 cloves garlic
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prep Your Ingredients: Preheat oven to 450ºF. Small dice the onion and mince 2 cloves of garlic. Scrub the carrots and remove the tops. Wash the tenderloin and pat dry, season with salt and pepper. Set aside at room temperature.
1. You'll want to start with the chimichurri sauce so the flavors can meld as you cook the rest of the meal. Add the parsley, cilantro, oregano, vinegar, jalapeño and garlic to the food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Slowly add the oil to the mixture until well-combined, pulsing another minute or so.
2. If you use a food processor, your chimichurri will look similar to the above photo. You may also opt for a more textured chimichurri by hand chopping all the ingredients and then combining. Either is fine!
3. Rinse the black lentils and set aside. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to a small pan and sauté the onions and garlic until soft. Add the lentils and 4 cups of water (or stock). Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for approximately 45 minutes, or until the lentils are tender (but not overcooked) and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Keep warm.
4. As soon as the lentils are simmering, pop an oven-proof skillet into the preheated oven. Leave it in there for about 10 minutes. After the time has passed, carefully remove the skillet using oven mitts. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, coating the bottom of the skillet. Add the seasoned pork tenderloin to the skillet and place it back in the oven for 10 minutes. (During these first ten minutes, work on step 5 of the recipe). After 10 minutes, flip the tenderloin over, reduce the oven temperature to 400ºF and roast for an additional 12-14 minutes or until the thickest part of the tenderloin reaches 140º-145ºF. Set aside on a wooden cutting board and allow the pork to rest for an additional 5-10 minutes before slicing.
5. As the pork roasts, add the carrots to a skillet with 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium and cook until tender. The carrots should finish cooking almost exactly when it's time to remove the pork from the oven.
Plate it up! Divide the lentils between two bowls (or eat it all by yourself; no one's judging you). Top with roasted carrots and sliced pork. Drizzle chimichurri over both plates. Serve with additional sauce. Enjoy!
Reference: The Kitchn: How to Make Roasted Pork Tenderloin