A Lighter, Brighter Pork Tenderloin

Rochelle Bilow

Pork tenderloin is delicious and ultra-comforting, but as winter melts we’ve had enough of our go-to sage, brown butter, and rosemary routine. So brighten things up (and get a little funky) with sautéed kale and kimchi. All you’ve gotta do is sear the pork, toss in the greens and kimchi, transfer it to a hot oven, and let the pork do its thing, baby.


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While it cooks, you can pat yourself on the back for being so virtuous and health-forward: The kimchi is packed with healthy probiotics, and kale’s a nutritious and hearty veggie that can stand up to the heat of the oven. If you wanted to pop open a bottle of Riesling to balance out the kimchi’s spicy heat, we wouldn’t fault you. Hey: You’ve got to have a little bit of fun, right?

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH KALE AND KIMCHI

Ingredients:

  • 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 ½ lb.)

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • ½ small bunch kale, ribs and stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped (about 3 ½ cups)

  • 1 cup chopped kimchi

  • 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

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Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°. Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear pork until golden brown on bottom side (do not turn), 5–8 minutes.

Add kale, kimchi, and soy sauce to skillet and toss to coat. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of tenderloin registers 140°, 10–15 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Serve pork with kale mixture.

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