We took the flavors of maple bacon and applied them to pork tenderloin in this lightened-up version of a Cobb Salad. Sweet and caramelized juices from the meat mingle with a zippy Dijon dressing, blue cheese and cherry tomatoes, hitting all the flavor notes in this easy and satisfying weeknight meal done in under 30 minutes.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 35 min |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 1-pound pork tenderloin, halved crosswise and lengthwise to make 4 pieces
- 2 tablespoons Montreal steak seasoning
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 romaine lettuce hearts, chopped
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450˚ F. Rub the pork pieces with the steak seasoning. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook, turning, until browned all over, 5 to 6 minutes. Brush with the maple syrup. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted into the center registers 140˚ F to 145˚ F, about 5 minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest at least 10 minutes. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons water to the skillet to thin out the pan juices. Reserve the pan juices for serving.
- Meanwhile, put the eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and set aside, covered, 10 minutes. Drain, then run under cold water to cool. Peel and chop the hard-boiled eggs.
- Make the dressing: Whisk the mustard, vinegar and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a thin stream until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Divide the lettuce among plates or shallow bowls. Thinly slice the pork and add to the plates; drizzle with the pan juices. Top the salads with the hard-boiled eggs, avocado, cherry tomatoes and blue cheese and drizzle with the dressing.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 510 |
| Total Fat | 33 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 8 grams |
| Cholesterol | 269 milligrams |
| Sodium | 1463 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 18 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 6 grams |
| Protein | 36 grams |
| Sugar | 8 grams |
Reviews
This salad is quick and easy for a weeknight. I already had some hard-boiled eggs in the fridge, so that made this even faster. I served the salad with FNM’s (Valerie Bertinelli’s) Crunchy Manchego and fig cheese straws (from the same issue – Nov 2021). It was a nice pairing.