Pork tenderloin with date-feta relish
A whole tenderloin roasted beside sweet potatoes, sliced while it's still blushing pink, and covered in a salty, sweet relish of dates, feta, lemon, and chile.
About 700 kcal and 45 g protein a serving
You'll need
- 1 pork tenderloin, about 1¼ lbs
- 2 sweet potatoes, in 1-inch cubes
- 1 red bell pepper, in strips
- 6 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
- 2 oz feta, crumbled
- 1 lemon
- Chile flakes
- Olive oil and salt
- Arugula, to serve
Make it
Tap a step when it's done.
- 425°FHeat the oven. Toss the sweet potatoes and pepper with oil and salt and spread them on a sheet pan.
- 10 minRoast the vegetables on their own first.
- 20–25 minRub the pork with oil and salt. For a browned outside, sear it first in a hot oiled skillet, 2 minutes a side. Lay it in the middle of the pan and roast until the thickest part reads 140°F.
- Meanwhile, make the relish: the dates, the feta, the zest and juice of the lemon, a pinch of chile flakes, and 3 tbsp olive oil, stirred together.
- Rest 10 minTake the pork out at 140°F and let it rest 10 minutes; it finishes at about 145°F, still just pink in the middle.
- FinishSlice it thick over the sweet potatoes and arugula, and spoon the relish over everything.
Leftovers
Sliced pork and sweet potatoes over 1 cup of cooked rice, with the leftover relish, is two lunches.
How it works
Lean meat has almost no fat to keep it juicy or carry flavor, so the richness goes on at the end instead: a relish of olive oil, salty feta, and sweet dates does what a fattier cut would do on its own. The other half of the lesson is pulling it early — pork is at its best slightly pink.
Make it your own
- Thick pork chops, seared hard, take the same relish.
- No feta? Salt the relish a little more.
- Extra relish is good on roasted squash or spread on toast.
Checked against
- Pan-Seared Oven-Roasted Pork Tenderloins — America's Test Kitchen — pull at 135–140°F and rest; the sear is what browns it
- Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes — Heart & Stroke — the same pan at 425°F: 20–25 minutes for the pork
- Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart — USDA — whole pork cuts are safe at 145°F with a 3-minute rest
Nutrition estimate, per serving
| Calories | 650–750 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 45 g |
| Carbohydrates | 60–65 g |
| Fat | 30–35 g |
| Fiber | 5–10 g |
A serving: A third of the recipe: about 6 oz pork, sweet potatoes and peppers, relish, arugula.
Not included: Rice. The lunches go over 1 cup cooked rice: add about 200 kcal and 45 g carbohydrate.
Estimated from standard nutrition data for each ingredient in the amounts above, then rounded. Fish, brands, and portions vary, so read these as a guide, not a measurement.