Pork Tenderloin Florentine -- When the Pork Deserves More Than One Day in the Sun

August 2021. Memphis summer, 62 years old, and the heat wraps around Orange Mound like a wet blanket that nobody asked for but everybody wears because that is the deal you make when you live in the South. The smoker calls louder in summer — something about the heat amplifying the smoke, the way humidity amplifies everything in Memphis — and I answer, because answering is what pitmasters do.

Walter Jr. came by with the grandchildren, bringing the noise and energy that grandchildren bring, the house expanding to hold them the way a good pot expands to hold a good stew. Trey at the smoker, learning, absorbing, his hands getting steadier each visit, the fire recognizing him the way fire recognizes those who are meant to tend it.

Ribs this week — spare ribs, dry-rubbed, five hours at 225, no foil, no rush. The Memphis way. The bark cracked when I bit into it, and the flavor was layered: smoke first, then spice, then the sweetness of the pork, each layer arriving on its own schedule, patient as a sermon. Rosetta ate two ribs and said nothing negative, which is a standing ovation from the toughest critic in my life.

Sunday at Mt. Zion, the choir sang and I sat in my pew and let the music hold me. The bass notes I used to add are quieter now — my voice is aging, the way everything ages — but the listening is its own participation, and the church holds me the way the church has held this community for a hundred years: faithfully, unconditionally, with room for everyone who shows up. I show up. That is enough.

Trey at the smoker reminded me that pork is a teaching tool — patience, layers, the long game. But after five hours of spare ribs and Rosetta still counting calories out of the corner of her eye, I wanted something that brought those same layered flavors indoors on a weeknight, something I could put in a pan and let the oven carry. This Pork Tenderloin Florentine does exactly that: the pork stays center, the spinach and cheese wrap around it the way good harmony wraps around a melody at Mt. Zion, and the whole thing comes together faster than a sermon runs long.

Pork Tenderloin Florentine

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Kitchen twine, for tying

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 400°F. Line a small roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet with foil and set aside.
2. Make the filling. In a skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Add spinach and stir until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in ricotta, Parmesan, and sun-dried tomatoes. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Butterfly the tenderloin. Using a sharp knife, slice the pork tenderloin lengthwise down the center, cutting about 3/4 of the way through. Open it like a book and press gently to flatten. Season the inside surface with salt, pepper, and half the Italian seasoning.
4. Stuff and tie. Spread the spinach filling evenly over the inside of the tenderloin, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Fold the pork back over the filling and tie at 1-inch intervals with kitchen twine to hold the shape.
5. Sear. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Season the outside of the tied tenderloin with the remaining Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Sear on all sides until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.
6. Roast. Transfer the skillet (or move tenderloin to the prepared pan) to the oven. Roast 20 to 25 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 145°F.
7. Rest and slice. Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes before removing twine. Slice into 1-inch rounds and serve warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 318 | Protein: 39g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 5g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 390mg