Spanish Pork Tenderloin & Salsa Verde

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ 425°F/ Gas 7

Dice the sweet potatoes (skins on) 

Add the diced sweet potatoes to a baking tray, drizzle them with vegetable oil and scatter the smoked paprika over

Season them with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and put the tray in the oven for 30 min or until cooked through and crispy

Meanwhile, cut the red pepper[s] in half and deseed (scrape the seeds and pith out with a teaspoon) 

Dice the tomato[es] 

Peel and finely chop the shallot[s] 

Add the halved peppers to a baking tray and stuff them with the diced tomato and half of the chopped shallot

Drizzle them with the red wine vinegar

Season them with a pinch of both salt and pepper and drizzle generously with olive oil

Put the tray in the oven for 20-25 min or until they have softened and wrinkled at the edges - these are your sweet and sour peppers 

Meanwhile, peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic 

Chop the parsley finely, including the stalks 

Add the chopped parsley to a pestle and mortar with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil

Grind to a paste, then add the chopped garlic, Dijon mustard and remaining chopped shallot

Stir in 3-4 tbsp olive oil - this is your salsa verde 

Scatter the dried oregano and a large pinch of salt over a clean chopping board 

Pat the pork tenderloin dry and roll it in the salty dried oregano

Heat a pan (preferably non-stick) with a matching lid, with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the herby pork and cook for 2 min, turning occasionally until lightly browned  

Once the pork has browned, reduce the heat to medium, add a splash of water, cover with a lid and cook for 8-10 min, turning once half way through

Once cooked, transfer the cooked pork to a chopping board, cover with a tea towel and set aside to rest for 3 min

Tip: resting the meat helps it to relax and keeps it juicy!

Once rested, slice the pork tenderloin