Last weekend, my parents visited me in Columbus for the first time and we had an absolute blast! I was able to show them all around my new city and introduce them to the my closest friends. All in all, it was a fabulous weekend. And because we're O'Gara's, you can rest assured that our entire weekend revolved around food! We shared appetizers and cocktails at Hubbard Grill and swooned over sinful desserts at Pistacia Vera. I also took my parents on a tour of North Market where we found perfumed honey from a local beekeeper, which became the inspiration for our Sunday Family Dinner.
We made a fantastic (if we do say so ourselves) pork tenderloin that we ate with oven roasted potatoes, onion and fennel, as well as a fun, cheesy pull-apart bread. Our pork tenderloin turned out so well, I figured it just
had to be the next blog post. This Honey Butter Pork Tenderloin is juicy and flavorful with a crisp, sweet crust that is perfect for a special Sunday dinner.
Honey Butter Pork Tenderloin
2 small pork tenderloins
Salt & Pepper
3 T. Cinnamon honey (or another flavored, local honey)
1/2 C. Butter
1/4 Onion, thinly sliced
1 T. Fresh thyme, chopped
Preheat the oven to 400.
Rub the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper so they are evenly and fully coated.
In a large non-stick skillet, melt the butter and honey over medium high heat. Stir constantly until the honey and butter come together in a quick bubble. Carefully place the pork tenderloin into the honey butter mixture. Allow the pork to sit for about a minute without turning it so that it gets a good sear. Turn and repeat until all of the pork has a crisp, dark crust.
Remove the meat from the skillet and place in an oven safe baking dish. Add the onion to the honey butter sauce and toss until the onions darken, about 2 minutes. Carefully pour these caramelized onions and sauce on top of the pork tenderloin. Sprinkle with thyme and place in the oven.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the pork is cooked all the way through. Remove the pork from the oven and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes so all those juices can redistribute.
Slice the pork on a diagonal (it looks nicer) and serve with oven-roasted vegetables.
*Local honey contains local pollen and can be helpful in warding off seasonal allergies. Plus, you get to support a local farmer instead of a grocery conglomerate! Check out Brad's Bees at https://www.facebook.com/BradsBees.
