A trio of ideas for holiday pork tenderloin
The holidays are stressful enough, never mind if you feel the need to reinvent your dinner repertoire every time someone new pops over. But at the same time, December is going to be an awful long month if you resort to making the same dish over and over again. So we figured there had to be a delicious middle ground.
And there was. Our idea was simple - pick a cut of meat that is easy to have on hand, simple to prepare for both small groups and crowds, and yet versatile enough to pair with multiple flavors.
Our choice? Pork tenderloin. Though delicious and tender, it also is neutral enough to pair wonderfully with numerous ingredients. It's also easy to cook. We like to rub it with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then roast for about 30 minutes. The entire process takes about 5 minutes hands-on time. Thinly sliced, the tenderloins can be paired with any number of sauces or toppings.
We've offered up three versions here - a tangy butternut squash pesto, a garlic-rich potato puree, and a glaze of cranberries and apple cider. Add some fresh bread and a salad and you've got a great holiday meal that you can repeat multiple times without ever feeling in a rut.