Cast Iron Pork Tenderloin with Peach Salsa
Cast Iron Pork Tenderloin with Peach Salsa
A fiery peach salsa is a match made in heaven for this seared pork tenderloin. Sharing my simple steps to achieving that perfect sear below!
Ingredients
- 1 1.5-2 lb pork tenderloin, fat trimmed
- 3 TBSP olive oil
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper for seasoning
- 1 small red onion, sliced into small cubes (see picture below)
- 2 TBSP brown sugar
- 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
- ¼ tsp kosher salt or more as needed
- 2-3 fresh peaches cubed into pieces
- ¼ cup canned diced fire-roasted tomatoes
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat over to 375 degrees and prep your pork: salt and pepper all sides VERY generously. Go wild with other seasonings if you desire!
- Step 2 Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot and add about a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Sear the pork approximately 2-3 minutes and then rotate 1/3 and repeat until all sides are seared. (In case you’re not sure, that’s 3 times)
- Step 3 After searing, coat the pork with more olive oil and place the cast iron skillet directly in the oven. Cook for 15 minutes, or until you reach an internal temp of 145 degrees F.
- Step 4 Prepare the salsa while the pork is cooking: Place the red onion, sugar and vinegar in a saucepan. Heat over medium-heat while stirring to melt the sugar. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions start to soften.
- Step 5 Add the salt, cubed peaches and fire-roasted tomatoes. Heat over medium-heat while stirring frequently until the peaches soften, and the liquid is mostly, but not completely, evaporated. This may take another 10 minutes or so.
- Step 6 Remove the pork from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Slice and serve with peach salsa.
It is no exaggeration to say that I use my cast iron skillet at least 3 times a week. Gordon Ramsay clued us in to the miracle of cast iron nearly 3 years ago and we have never looked back. It’s durable, it’s versatile, and (trust me on this), everything just tastes better after being cooked in one. Just watch the latest episode of Master Chef and you’ll see how truly versatile is. For these reasons (and many more), it’s also one of our favorite housewarming gifts. Every one should have one in their kitchen and if you don’t, this is your excuse to buy one.
This brand is the one we recommend – check it out:
For the purposes of this recipe, my goal is to prove to you that cast iron is the answer to a perfectly seared pork tenderloin, every single time. It really just comes down to VERY generous seasoning and a good hot sear in this pan. Then the oven does the rest of the work. Case in point:
And if you’ve been following the blog closely lately you have probably started to see a theme this month: PEACHES! I am really challenging myself to find unique ways to incorporate peaches into my dishes lately and this recipe is no exception. The last recipe I posted with peaches was ironically also pork (a peach-stuffed pork chop, enjoy!), but the recipes could not be more different. This time, I wanted to create a flavorful sauce (which evolved into a salsa) to top off my pork tenderloin and add some real depth and dimension to the dish. It was pretty simple to throw together: just some red onions, peaches and fire-roasted tomatoes simmered with a little brown sugar and apple cider vinegar. It comes together all while the pork is finishing in the oven.
The final result? A tender and moist pork tenderloin, with the PERFECT char and the finishing touch of fiery peach salsa. It was everything I wanted it to be and more. I hope you’ll agree! Comment below and let us know what you think!
