Pork Tenderloin with Warm Lentils, Roasted Carrots, and Orange Dressing

Instructions

1. 1

   Roast the carrots and onion

   Preheat the oven to 210 °C. Peel the carrots and cut them into sticks about 2 cm wide. Cut the onion into wedges. Toss them with 15 ml olive oil, the cumin, and 3 g salt. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 25–30 minutes, turning the vegetables halfway through. The carrots should be tender, lightly browned at the edges, and still firm.

   
2. 2

   Cook the lentils

   Rinse the lentils, put them in a saucepan, and cover with 700 ml water. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 20–25 minutes, until tender but still holding their shape. Drain and stir in 2 g salt.

   
3. 3

   Sear and finish cooking the tenderloin

   Pat the tenderloin dry. Rub it with the ground coriander, black pepper, and 2 g salt. Heat 10 ml olive oil in a skillet and sear the meat on all sides, about 5 minutes total, until a golden-brown crust forms. Transfer it to the oven alongside the vegetables and roast for about 10–14 minutes, until the center reaches 63–65 °C. Let the meat rest for 5–8 minutes before slicing.

   
4. 4

   Mix the orange dressing

   In a bowl, whisk together the orange juice, Dijon mustard, wine vinegar, and the remaining 10 ml olive oil. The dressing should taste distinctly bright and slightly spicy from the mustard.

   
5. 5

   Finish the warm lentil bowl

   Toss the warm lentils with the roasted carrots and onion, the dressing, and the chopped parsley. Taste: the orange and vinegar should refresh the flavors, not overpower them. Slice the tenderloin and serve it over the lentil mixture while both the meat and the side are warm.