Parmesan Crusted Pork Loin
Sometimes you need an oven meal. Something you can just pop in the oven and let it do its thing. But sometimes those meals lack the “yum” factor. So if you could accomplish that, and had to take that oven meal one step further, would you do it? Um, Yeah!
Roasts are perfect for that. Pork loin roast is really a good one. It’s lean so its light, but it’s tricky. It can easily dry out when over cooked. I’m always looking for ways to keep that meat juicy while still keeping it flavorful on the outside. I made this with a little over 2 pounds of pork loin. I bought a package that looks like one piece, but when you open it, it’s actually two! Guess what no left overs! I guess it was that good!
This was a spur of the moment recipe where things just came together, and it worked! I used a mixture of fresh herbs like thyme, oregano and rosemary. Wow! What a combo! It doesn’t have to be those specific herbs, but fresh herbs really make a difference! Of course the star of the show is the Parmesan cheese that gets pressed onto the pork about halfway through cooking. The pork was delicious and moist and the crust was perfect. If you really want to get cheesy pair this with my Parmesan Potatoes
This was easy enough for a week night dinner, but fancy enough for a dinner party. Who has dinner parties anymore? I wish that trend would come back. I’d love to host one! Any takers?
Parmesan Crusted Pork Loin
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh herbs (thyme, oregano & rosemary) finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- salt & pepper
- 2 pounds pork tenderloin
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- lemon juice for squeezing on top when serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the pork in a large roasting pan.
- On a sturdy cutting board, chop your herbs, garlic and salt and pepper together.
- Add the mixture to a bowl with the olive oil and stir.
- Evenly coat the pork with the herb mixture top and bottom.
- Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the pork from the oven.
- Caution! The pan will be hot! Carefully press the Parmesan cheese onto the pork.
- Place the pork back in the oven for an additional 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
- Remove the pork from the oven and let it rest for about ten minutes so the crust can set. Carefully slice the pork so the crust does not fall off (a serrated knife may help). Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice over top!
