Cast Iron Pork Tenderloin

Four sliced of cooked pork tenderloin topped with sauce on brown plate.

Tender and juicy cast iron pork tenderloin gets a flavor blast from the super easy blackberry jam BBQ sauce! Delicious and ready to eat in under 30 minutes!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Resting Time 5

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 505kcal

Author Anne Clark

Ingredients

Pork Tenderloin

1-½ tablespoons canola oil or peanut oil (divided) use a high heat cooking oil
1 pound pork tenderloin not pork loin
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Blackberry BBQ Sauce

1 cup blackberry preserves, seedless save the jar for later use
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Coat the pork tenderloin with ½ tablespoon of oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large cast iron skillet. Turn the heat to medium-high. When the skillet is hot, sear all sides of the tenderloin for about 2 minutes or until slightly browned.
Place the skillet with the pork into the preheated oven and bake uncovered for 8-10 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloin reaches 145 degrees F, then remove from the oven. Note: cooking pork to 145F is the USDA definition of medium-rare. See this Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart from foodsafety.gov. Remember, the pork will continue to cook as it rests, covered in foil, while you make the sauce.
Transfer the pork to a serving platter or cutting board and loosely cover with foil.
While the pork is resting, prepare the sauce by adding all of the blackberry BBQ sauce ingredients to a small pot. Blend with a whisk over medium heat just until warmed, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving bowl or dish.
Cut the pork tenderloin diagonally into ½-inch slices (medallions) and serve with warm blackberry BBQ sauce.

Notes

If your pork tenderloin comes in a package with two 1-pound pork tenderloins, you can cook both of them at the same time. There will be enough blackberry BBQ sauce for both tenderloins.

Pork tenderloin and pork loin are 2 different types of pork. Be sure to use pork tenderloin for this recipe.

Do not use extra virgin olive oil because it's not made for high heat roasting, and it will scorch and smoke.

Oven temperatures can vary from oven to oven, and electric vs gas, so be sure to use a digital meat thermometer to make sure the pork tenderloin reaches 145F before removing from the oven.

Store any remaining sauce in the jar the preserves came in. Store in the refrigerator.

Leftover pork should be kept in the refrigerator and eaten within 2 days.

Nutrition