By September 2022. Fall in Memphis, and I am 63, walking the neighborhood in my light jacket, watching the leaves turn on the oaks and maples that line Deadrick Avenue. The smoker is happy in fall — the cooler air holds the smoke lower, keeps it closer to the meat, and the results are always a shade better in October than in July, as if the season itself is a seasoning.
Rosetta beside me through the week, steady as ever, the woman who runs this household with the precision of a hospital ward and the heart of a mother who has loved fiercely for 38 years of marriage. 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.
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.
Now, the smoker gets the glory in this house — I won’t pretend otherwise — but there are nights when Rosetta wants dinner on the table in under an hour, and the grandchildren want something they can cut with a fork. That’s when I turn to this Parmesan Pork Tenderloin. It’s a different kind of patience than five hours at 225, but the reward is the same: good pork, seasoned right, shared with the people who fill your house and your life. After a Sunday like that one at Mt. Zion, with the music still settling in my chest, a simple roast felt like exactly the right way to close the week.
Parmesan Pork Tenderloin
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 to 1-1/4 pounds)
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Set oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly grease or place a wire rack on top.
- Season the pork. Pat the tenderloin dry with paper towels. Rub all sides with olive oil.
- Coat with Parmesan mixture. In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Press the mixture evenly over the entire surface of the tenderloin.
- Roast. Place the tenderloin on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 22 to 28 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 145°F.
- Rest and serve. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing into 1/2-inch medallions. The resting lets the juices settle back into the meat — don’t skip it.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 210 | Protein: 30g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 1g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 320mg