My husband usually grills our pork tenderloin after I have marinated it in a combination of herbs such as rosemary, thyme, sometimes mint, lots of garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, and of course a generous amount of kosher salt and pepper. See the recipe here.
However, I was looking for a change and wanted to roast it in the oven since it was actually raining outside (yay! Thank you, El Nino).
In what has become one of my favorite cookbooks,The Tuscan Sun Cookbook, I spotted this recipe for an Italian version using fennel seeds as well as fresh rosemary in the marinade.
I adapted the actual recipe to suit my purposes and pantry at the time so I omitted the fennel bulb side dish which you will see in the original recipe below. I will plan on making that as an accompaniment the next time.
Instead, I roasted carrots and potatoes which had been tossed in olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, and some minced rosemary to go along with the pork. It was really delicious!
Here is the original recipe, including the fennel side dish…
Honey-Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Fennel (serves 4)
(The Tuscan Sun Cookbook, Frances and Edward Mayes)
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary or 1 and ½ teaspoons dried
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons honey, (lavender or acacia if available)
2 pork tenderloins, 1 pound each
2 fennel bulbs, fronds reserved
¼ cup white wine
½ cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano- Reggiano or Pecorino
½ cup (4 ounces) mascarpone
½ cup fresh coarse breadcrumbs, crisped in extra-virgin olive oil
Rosemary wands, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 425 degree
In a mortar or food processor, crush the fennel seeds. In a small bowl, combine them with the rosemary, salt, pepper, and garlic.
Reserve a teaspoon of this mixture for the fennel bulbs ( note: if you are making the side dish)
Combine the rest with the honey, and spread this on the pork.
Place in a shallow 8×12-inch parchment-lined pan.
(Note: I used a large 14-inch oven safe skillet)
Roast in the oven until the pork is faintly pink in the middle, 20 minutes per pound, or 145 degrees internal temperature, or to your desired state of doneness.
Set the pork aside and cover to keep warm.
If making the fennel side dish, continue with the recipe below…
Lower the oven temperature to 350 degree.
While the meat roasts, cut the fennel bulbs in ½- inch slices. toss out the tough root end and reserve the fronds for garnish.
Steam the fennel for about 10 minutes, until cooked, but not soft. Transfer it to a 7×10-inch baking dish.
In a small bowl, mix the reserved fennel-rosemary mixture with the wine, Parmiagiano, and mascarpone. Spread this over the fennel and top with the breadcrumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, until slightly browned and bubbling.Slice the pork and arrange it on a large platter and spoon the fennel around it,
Garnish the tenderloins with fennel leaves and with wands of rosemary.