This is the pork tenderloin that was supposed to be a chicken. But it ended up being one of those delicious mistakes I was so glad I made.
I was aiming for a roasted whole chicken that was rubbed under and over the skin with a potent blend of coarse black pepper, kosher salt, dried thyme, garlic powder and lemon zest. Then I’d drizzle it with oil and pop it in the oven. When it came out, I was planning to squeeze the lemon juice over the crisp skin. I could already smell it.
And that was the problem. I pulled the chicken out of the refrigerator and started to unwrap it. The smell hit me hard. The chicken was spoiled. And I didn’t have a spare.
But I did have a bowl full of the lemon-pepper seasoning I’d made. To make the best of it, I grabbed the only other fresh meat I had on hand — a large pork tenderloin. I rubbed, oiled, roasted and drizzled it just as I’d been planning for the chicken. It was outrageously good, tangy and savory and salty with a nice bite from the pepper.