“Think a tender, juicy pork tenderloin, perfectly seasoned, melting in your mouth and hitting your taste buds with a burst of flavors.
Do you know that delicious, dish that becomes the talk of every family gathering, the one that everyone sneaks seconds (and thirds) of when no one’s looking?
This is that dish.
I’ve put this recipe to the test time and time again.
It’s one of my all-time favorites and I swear by it.
But, don’t just take my word for it.
Let’s dig into the heart of the matter and see how to whip up this tasty dish.
Note: Always cook meat to temperature, not by time. Actual cooking time will vary based on several factors, including internal starting temperature, individual oven variations, size and thickness of the meat, or what else is in the oven while cooking.
The minimum safe cooking temperature for fresh pork is 145° F
Instant Read Meat Thermometer:
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
3 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed
1 c. pineapple juice
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. honey, local preferred
2 T. yellow mustard
2 cinnamon sticks
6 cloves
1/4 t. fresh ground nutmeg
1 8-oz. can pineapple slices, drained
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the pineapple juice, brown sugar, honey, mustard, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and ground nutmeg. Bring to a heavy simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low, and allow the glaze to simmer until thickened, approximately 15-20 minutes.
- Place the tenderloin in a 9” x 13” baking dish. Make incisions 3/4-inch apart, taking care not to cut through the bottom, leaving 1/2-inch space under the tenderloin.
- Brush one-half of the glaze all over the tenderloin and inside each incision.
- Slice the pineapple slices in half and place into the incisions.
- Bake until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145° F, approximately 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and increase the heat to 400° F.
- Brush the remaining glaze all over the tenderloin and the pineapple slices and return the tenderloin into the oven to bake for another 10 minutes or until slightly caramelized.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy!
Pineapple and Brown Sugar Baked Pork Tenderloin
Prep time: 20 minutesCook time: 1 hourServes: 8-10
- 3 lb. pork tenderloin (trimmed)
- 1 c. pineapple juice
- 1/4 c. brown sugar
- 1/4 c. honey (local preferred)
- 2 T. yellow mustard
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 6 cloves
- 1/4 t. fresh ground nutmeg
- 1 8- oz. can pineapple slices (drained)
- Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the pineapple juice, brown sugar, honey, mustard, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and ground nutmeg. Bring to a heavy simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low, and allow the glaze to simmer until thickened, approximately 15-20 minutes.
- Place the tenderloin in a 9” x 13” baking dish. Make incisions 3/4-inch apart, taking care not to cut through the bottom, leaving 1/2-inch space under the tenderloin.
- Brush one-half of the glaze all over the tenderloin and inside each incision.
- Slice the pineapple slices in half and place into the incisions.
- Bake until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145° F, approximately 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and increase the heat to 400° F.
- Brush the remaining glaze all over the tenderloin and the pineapple slices and return the tenderloin into the oven to bake for another 10 minutes or until slightly caramelized.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy!
*Nutrition information is only a rough estimate.
