Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Polenta

Ingredients

1 whole pork tenderloin, roughly 1 ¼ pounds
extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pints (about 4 cups) cherry tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Creamy Polenta:
2 cups water
2 cups whole milk*
1 cup polenta (also known as corn grits)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup Pecorina Romano, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Pat pork tenderloin dry. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, just enough to coat. In a small bowl, combine rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Rub herb mixture all over pork.

In a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, add a drizzle of olive oil. Add pork; sear on each side for about 4 minutes until browned. Turn off stove top, and remove skillet from heat.

Scooch tenderloin to one side of the skillet. Add cherry tomatoes to the other side of the skillet and top tomatoes with, garlic, butter, and balsamic vinegar.

Transfer skillet to oven and roast until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of the tenderloin reaches 145°F, about 14 to 16 minutes.

Transfer the tenderloin to a cutting board, and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.
Creamy Polenta

While the tenderloin is cooking in the oven, in a medium pot, bring water and milk to a boil over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the polenta, stirring until the polenta is soft and thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter, Pecorino Romano, salt, and pepper. If the polenta thickens too much, thin with additional water or milk.

Divide the polenta between serving plates. Place several slices of pork tenderloin and roasted cherry tomatoes over top. Drizzle with juices from the skillet. Enjoy!