Butterflied Pork Tenderloin with Greek Yogurt Ranch + Broccoli

Combine the quinoa and water in a pot and add ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then turn down to medium and partially cover. Stir occasionally and cook until the water is mostly absorbed - about 12 minutes. Turn down to low and cover the pot. Cook for another 4 - 6 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and fluffy. If not quite done, you can leave it covered and it will further steam.

To butterfly the pork, set on a clean work surface. Remove any globs of white fat with your fingers and a little paring knife as needed. Lay the tenderloin flat and hold your knife parallel to the surface, press the top of the tenderloin with you palm. Take care to flex your fingers up so they don’t get nicked by the knife.

Slowly draw the knife through the middle of the pork as if you were opening it like a book. Keep one long side intact, like the spine of the book, to hold it all together. When you get most of the way, open it up and lay it flat. If it’s still buckling, slice a little more towards the “spine” until it lays mostly flat. You can press it a little to mold.

Sprinkle both sides evenly with salt, pepper and paprika. Rub in the spices.

Trim the broccoli into florets. I like to steam the broccoli in a steamer basket on the stovetop - if you have one, set that up with a little water in it. Or, roast the broccoli at 350 for about 6 minutes. Or, place the broccoli in a large pot with 1 inch of water; cover and bring it to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes.

Heat a large skillet over high heat - cast iron is great here or even a grill pan. Drizzle the oil in the pan and when it’s hot, place the pork down carefully so it’s open. Sear for 4 - 5 minutes, but turn down to medium-high if it starts to burn, then flip. Cook the other side for 5 - 6 minutes or until the pork is cooked through. NOTE - pork loins are quite variable, if yours is thicker, you’ll have to cook it longer or transfer to a 400 degree oven for 5 - 8 minutes to finish. Pork tenderloin is done when it’s at 145 degrees! That will still look a little pink. You can cook it longer but it will dry out.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a medium bowl, stir together all of the ingredients for the sauce - avocado, mayo, yogurt, lemon zest and juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried chives. Use a fork to really mash the avocado or use a stick blender to get it completely smooth. If it’s too thick you can add a Tablespoon (or more or less) of water to thin it out. Set aside in the fridge.

Scoop the quinoa onto the plate. Top with veggies. Transfer pork to a cutting board and slice into thick strips. Move to the plate and spoon sauce over to taste.