Pork Studded with Rosemary and Garlic

Tonight is the first time I'm baking Match pork as a full "tenderloin" roasted in the oven, rather than cooking individual portions in a skillet.  Read on for the entree plus a couple complimentary side dishes.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 12 ounces Match pork, thawed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Cooking spray

1. Combine the rosemary and garlic in a small bowl.  Set aside.

2. Shape the Match pork into a log (about 8 inches long and 2 inches thick), and cut several 1/2-inch deep slits along the top.  Place half of the rosemary mixture in the slits, and rub the remaining rosemary mixture over the pork.  Sprinkle evenly with the salt and black pepper.

3. Place the pork on a jelly roll pan or baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 475 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.  Let stand for 5 minutes, then cut into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Serve this dish with quick veggie side dishes.  For the first, cut small red potatoes into halves or quarters (depending on size) and cook in boiling water just until tender - about 10 minutes.  For the second, make simple caramelized carrots: toss together 1 pound packaged baby carrots, 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, 2 teaspoons vegan brown sugar, 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.  Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and slip into the oven with the pork for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (3 ounces pork), Calories 147

Tasting Notes:
Exactly what you'd expect from the ingredient list - garlic, and rosemary, and salt.  So yum.  For whatever reason, the "pork"y flavor of the Match was stronger when roasted this way than when I've cooked it in a skillet.  It was a bit of a jolt to my taste buds, but tender and savory.  As a bonus, this whole meal came together in 20 minutes.  The only glitch tonight?  When I was caramelizing the carrots, the brown sugar mixture coalesced on one corner of the baking sheet and burned...setting off my apartment's fire alarm.  I had to emphatically tell the device that nothing was burning, but it did not want to listen to me.  So consider baking the carrots in a small (8-inch) baking dish, to prevent your liquid from going one way, while your baby carrots go another. 

Rating:
3