Oven Baked Juicy Pork Tenderloin

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Preheating is essential in baking to ensure even cooking. It's a simple but crucial step that I've learned from continually baking and cooking.

While the oven is heating, prepare the pork tenderloin. Trim off the excess fat if necessary. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. This step is crucial as it removes moisture that could inhibit the formation of a crisp, flavorful crust.

Next, season the pork. Brush the pork with olive oil, ensuring all sides are well coated. Then generously sprinkle with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme. Season evenly for a balanced flavor throughout the meat, as the key to a fantastic pork tenderloin is the seasoning. Don't hesitate to get hands-on here; it can actually be quite therapeutic.

Place the seasoned pork on a baking sheet or a roasting pan and bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes. This timing results in a beautifully cooked tenderloin, neither undercooked nor overdone, just pure succulence.

While the pork is in the oven, warm up the honey until it's runny. I usually do this by placing the honey in a heatproof bowl above a small pot of simmering water, essentially creating a double boiler. Honey heated this way becomes an excellent glaze.

When the pork is cooked, brush the runny honey on top of the tenderloin, then put it back into the oven for an additional 5 minutes. This will create a sweet and slightly caramelized crust on your tenderloin.

After baking, let your pork rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. This step allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat ensuring each bite is juicy and full of flavor. And voila! Your baked pork tenderloin is ready to serve.