Juiciest Oven Roasted Pork Tenderloin with a Cherry Rum Glaze

Make any night of the week special with this Herbs de Provence marinated pork tenderloin. Juicy, oven roasted pork meets a sweet and savory cherry rum glaze. This oven recipe is surprisingly simple, but one bite will make you feel like it’s a special occasion.

Never serve dry pork tenderloin again!

Pork tenderloin has suffered from a bad case of misinformation. Please never cook it until 165°F as you would chicken. Pork tenderloin can (and should be!) a little pink in the middle. I highly recommend using a digital thermometer to accurately determine the internal temperature. Aim for 130-135°F. The key is to lightly cover it in foil so it will continue to cook while it rests. Like all meat, resting is important to allow the juices to redistribute.

I did an experiment on my unsuspecting husband. The recipes I post here I make over and over again prior to publishing. For this recipe, I cooked with a beautiful pork tenderloin from a local farm. Except one time. Just to see if my husband would notice, I cooked up a pork tenderloin from a well-known brand found at the grocery store. All other ingredients were kept the same, along with preparation and technique. I believe I made my 8th grade science teacher proud with this experiment. My husband noticed the store-bought pork tenderloin was not as juicy, lacked flavor and even had a weird texture. Therefore, quality, pasture raised pork is highly recommended to achieve a tender, juicy end result.

Marinading is an excellent technique to infuse flavor, tenderize and ensure pork tenderloin never comes out dry. Be sure not to let the pork tenderloin sit in the marinade for longer than 24 hours. Acid can bread down the meat fibers if left too long. This will result in a mushy, unpleasant texture.

Herbs de Provence pork marinade.

Herbs de Provence is a bright, floral spice blend that encapsulates the French countryside with notes of lavender and marjoram. I suggest giving your spice jar a smell test to ensure the fragrance is strong. If it smells like nothing, toss it. Salt, course sugar, smoked paprika and garlic add even more flavor to the marinade.

Sweet, fruity Balsamic vinegar compliments pork and plays well with the sweet and savory flavor profile. Aim for 3-8 hours for this recipe. No longer than 24 to avoid the meat from breaking down.

Extra virgin olive oil is included to keep the meat moist while balances out the acidity.

preparation tips

Follow these tips for a smooth, clean preparation.

Line a large bowl with a resealable bag. Combine all of the marinade ingredients into the bag followed by the pork tenderloin. Roll up the meat to push out as much air as possible and to force the marinade to fully submerge the tenderloin.

Place the rolled up, resealable bag onto a baking sheet in the fridge. The baking sheet is your insurance policy that meat juices won’t leak all over your refrigerator. After experiencing the horror that is a leaky plastic bag, I use a baking sheet every time.

Oven roasting pork tenderloin.

For this recipe I highly recommend using a cast iron griddle. I use one from Lodge cast iron. Preheat the griddle for at least 30 minutes in a 475°F oven. While the oven is preheating, remove the pork from the fridge to take the chill off. This will help the meat cook more evenly.

Next, carefully remove the pork tenderloin from the marinade, letting any excess drip off. Do not wipe the pork tenderloin. Roast in the oven until the internal temperature is 130-135°F. This will take around 15 minutes. Flip around the 8-minute mark and baste with the cherry glaze.

It’s important to let the meat rest on a cutting board lightly covered with foil. The meat will continue to cook, reaching 140-145°F.

Easy cherry rum glaze.

Sweet and savory cherry rum glaze that comes together quickly and is truly something special. What you will need:

All ingredients simmer together in a saucepan over medium heat until barbeque sauce consistency. Keep a close eye, stirring frequently to ensure the sugars do not burn. Turn the heat off and let the sauce sit while the pork roasts.

The glaze is dreamy, you will want a pool of it beneath the slices of pork with even more on the side for dipping.

Common questions.

Can pork tenderloin be pink in the middle?

Yes. Pork tenderloin should reach 145°F. Removing the pork from the oven around 130-135°F then covering with foil for 10 minutes will allow it to come to temperature without drying out.

Hungry for more? Check out my favorite one-pan dinner below.

Herbs de Provence Marinated Pork Tenderloin with a Cherry Rum Glaze

Make any night of the week special with this Herbs de Provence marinated pork tenderloin. Juicy, oven roasted pork meets a sweet and savory cherry rum glaze. This oven recipe is surprisingly simple, but one bite will make you feel like it's a special occasion.

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Servings 1 pork tenderloin

Equipment

• 1 Cast iron griddle Lodge cast iron used

Ingredients

  

Marinade Ingredients

• 1 1.5lb pork tenderloin, patted dry
• 1 tbsp Herbs de Provence
• 1 tbsp raw, course sugar
• 1 tsp salt Redmond’s Real Salt
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

Cherry Miso Glaze Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp yellow miso paste
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp rum spiced Caribbean rum
• 2 tbsp cherry preserves I used Morello cherries

Instructions

 

• Into a resealable bag, place all marinade ingredients including the pork tenderloin.
• Squeeze out any air and seal bag. Move contents around to evenly coat.
• Set aside in the refrigerator on a baking sheet for 3-24 hours.
• Preheat oven for at least 30 minutes at 475F with a cast iron griddle inside. Use the flat side of the griddle rather than ridged for easier cleanup.
• While the oven is preheating, remove pork tenderloin from refrigerator and let rest to take the chill off.
• Remove pork from marinade, discard marinade.
• Roast on griddle around 8 minutes.
• In the mean time, make the glaze. Combine all ingredients into a sauce pan over medium heat.
• Heat and stir until sauce thickens to a barbeque sauce consistency, around 5 minutes. Turn off heat.
• Then, baste the pork with the glaze. Continue roasting until internal temperature reads 130-135, 6-10 minutes longer.
• Remove pork from oven. Let rest on a cutting board lightly covered with foil for 10 minutes.
• Slice and serve with glaze.