Name: Herb-Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients: 1 whole pork tenderloin (1 pound); 1 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, or (1 tsp dried rosemary); 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or (1 tsp dried oregano); 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, or (1 tsp dried sage); 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or (1 tsp dried thyme); ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper; hot sauce, optional

Why it works: Rosemary and sage match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 465 recipes. Both carry 1,8-cineol, which smells eucalyptus, camphor. The science ↓

Herb-Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Oven450°F, then reduced to 350°F

Timeabout 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 whole pork tenderloin (1 pound)
1 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, or (1 tsp dried rosemary)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or (1 tsp dried oregano)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, or (1 tsp dried sage)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or (1 tsp dried thyme)
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
hot sauce, optional

Directions

Prepare

Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Prepare a shallow roasting pan and rack with non‑stick pan spray.
Brush the tenderloin with the mustard.
Combine the herbs, pat them evenly onto the tenderloin and sprinkle with pepper.
Place the pork on the rack in the roasting pan.

Roast and serve

Set it in the oven, and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the tenderloin registers 145°F, about 25 minutes (depending on the size of the tenderloin).
Remove the pork from the oven and let rest 5 minutes.
Carve in ½‑inch slices and serve with the pan juices.
Drizzle with the hot sauce, if desired.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

274Calories

28 gProtein

15 gFat

6 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 8 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Pork	100g cooked	242
Chili	1 tsp (2.7g)	8
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Oregano	1 tsp dried (1.8g)	5
Rosemary	1 tsp dried (1.2g)	4
Thyme	1 tsp dried (1.4g)	4
Mustard	1 tsp (5g) yellow	3
Sage	1 tsp ground (0.7g)	2

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Rosemary + sagetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together465 recipes

Shared aroma: 1,8-cineol (eucalyptus, camphor).
Sage + thymetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together1,485 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Rosemary + thymetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together1,340 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
Rosemary + oreganotop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together344 recipes

Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Oregano + thymetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together791 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Pork tenderloin: Is the main protein; cooks through gently and stays juicy when not overcooked.
Grainy dijon mustard: Adds a sharp tang and helps the herb coating adhere to the meat.
Rosemary: Contributes a piney, aromatic flavour that suits roasted pork.
Thyme: Adds a warm, earthy herbal aroma that complements the pork.
Sage: Contributes a savoury, slightly peppery herbal flavour to the crust.

The step that matters

Roast until 145°F, not longer. Pork tenderloin is lean and dries out quickly once overcooked. Checking the internal temperature with a thermometer, rather than relying on time alone, prevents this, and resting lets juices redistribute before carving.

Swap the mustard

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pork, rosemary, oregano, sage, thyme, pepper, sauce):

Capsicumfits better
Carrotfits better
Tomatofits better
Mustardthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against pork, rosemary, oregano, sage, thyme, pepper, sauce. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.