The first time I visited my in-laws (way back when my husband had only been my boyfriend for 2 months), they made this delicious pork tenderloin. I was impressed with their cooking, their son, and them in general!
The next time we visited over fourth of July, they had a backyard party and fireworks. And they made the tasty pork tenderloin again.
When we drove to their house in September for my husband’s birthday – imagine that – they made this magical pork tenderloin again!
Are you catching the pattern? This pork tenderloin recipe is a crowd pleaser and everyone likes it. Seriously, from toddlers to grandparents and everyone in between.
The secret ingredient
It’s the secret ingredient: Dale’s steak seasoning.
Yes, I know that this is pork – not steak. But Dale’s is my secret weapon for so many dishes: pork tenderloin, salad dressing, stir fry sauce, and more. The seasoning mixed with the garlic and soaked into the meat is utter perfection.
I’ve made this on the grill, baked in the oven, or roasted in the crock pot, and it’s alway 100% delicious. Plus, it’s ridiculously hard to mess up. No matter your level of cooking expertise, you can make and perfect this recipe.
Don’t believe me? Give it a try!
Kid-Approved and Guest-Worthy Pork Tenderloin
This crowd-pleasing pork tenderloin is packed with flavor! It will seem as if you spent hours preparing this dish, when it actually only takes a few minutes to create the marinade.
Ingredients
- ½ cup Dale’s Steak Sauce
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbs dried minced garlic, or 2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
- 2 Tbs sugar
- 2 pork tenderloins, they often come in 2 packs
Instructions
- Mix the Dale’s, olive oil, garlic and sugar together in a gallon ziplock bag.
- Add the pork tenderloin, seal the ziplock, and mix around to fully coat the meat in the sauce.
- Refrigerate and marinate for at least [timer minutes=180]2 hours[/timer], preferably [timer minutes=480]8 hours[/timer]. At least once, turn the tenderloins over to evenly marinate. Discard marinade before cooking.
- Either grill or bake the tenderloins until done, between 145 and 160F. I typically bake at 350 for [timer minutes=45]45 minutes[/timer], and then check every [timer minutes=5]5 minutes[/timer] until it reaches the proper internal temperature. (If you want to cook in a crock pot, marinate for only [timer minutes=60]1 hour[/timer]. Cook the tenderloin in the marinade on low for [timer minutes=360]6 hours[/timer], or until done.)
- Make a second batch of the sauce in a foil pouch. Add the cooked tenderloins to the sauce, close the foil pouch, and allow to rest for [timer minutes=20]20 minutes[/timer].
- Slice into 2 inch thick pieces, serve immediately, and spoon extra sauce over for additional flavor.
Notes
Note: this recipe is for one batch of sauce. You will need one batch to marinate the raw meat in, and a second batch to steam the tenderloin in after cooking.
