Cast Iron Pork Tenderloin (Low and Slow)
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Seared first, then left alone to become the best thing on the plate.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35-45 minutes, depending on size
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 1 pork tenderloin, 1.5 to 2 pounds
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 325°F.
- Mix the garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, salt, and pepper together, then stir in the avocado oil to form a paste-like rub.
- Coat the tenderloin all over with the rub.
- Heat a cast iron pan on the stovetop and sear the tenderloin on all sides until it’s got good color, this is where the flavor and crust come from.
- Transfer the whole cast iron pan straight into the oven and bake at 325°F until the internal temperature hits 145°F, about 25-35 minutes depending on the size of your tenderloin.
- Let it rest for a few minutes before slicing.
Notes:
Don’t skip the sear. It’s tempting to just throw the whole thing in the oven, but that crust is doing a lot of the flavor work here, the oven time is really about finishing it gently so the inside stays juicy.
Short on time? Skip the stovetop sear entirely and just roast it at 375°F until it hits 145°F, usually 25-30 minutes for this size. You lose a little crust, but it’s still a solid weeknight dinner with way less cleanup, one pan, one step, done.
