Pork Tenderloin With Apples Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should pork tenderloin be cooked fast or slow? ›

The size and structure of a tenderloin make it perfect for cooking quickly on high heat. You want to be able to brown the outside while still keeping it a little pink on the inside.

Sear + Roast

This cooking method is a surefire way to make moist and juicy pork tenderloin without much fuss. Searing the meat first gives it that golden-brown crust before a quick roast in the oven finishes it off. It's an easy, crowd-pleasing meal for any night of the week.

Place it in the hot oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer registers 145°F (medium), 20-30 minutes. If roasting for longer than 20 minutes, cover the pork loosely with foil to prevent the top from burning. Remove the tenderloin from the oven.

First, you will want to preheat your oven to 400° F. You will end up lowering the heat later on but it is important to start at a high temp to trap the moisture inside the pork loin. Next, grab your favorite dry rub and rub it all over the pork loin and make sure it's evenly distributed throughout the whole loin.

Marinating the tenderloin in a mix of apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, onion powder, and salt makes it even juicier—find the full recipe for Honey-Mustard Pork Tenderloin here. The total time of this easy recipe clocks in at 20–26 minutes, which means it's entirely doable on a weeknight.

Season with salt and pepper: Just before cooking, sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper. Wait to do this until you're ready to actually put the meat in the pan, otherwise the salt draws moisture out of the meat and you'll need to pat it dry again.

Drizzle the olive oil over the pork rind and the meat, rubbing it in with your fingers for best results (if you need more oil, add more). Season the rind with a generous amount of sea salt (about 1 tablespoon). Transfer pork to a roasting dish and roast for 50 minutes, or until the rind crackles.

Slicing the tenderloin into pieces means they'll cook quicker, a lot quicker than the 40 minutes or so it takes for a whole piece. When slicing the tenderloin, start at the tapered (smaller) end and slice on a slight diagonal for even pieces.

Before you put the pork in the oven, pour a cup or two of water into the bottom of whatever pan you're using—just enough to completely cover the surface—then cover the roast completely with foil. (You can also use a broiler pan instead, placing the pork on the top and using the bottom chamber to hold the water.)

If fresh pork has reached 145°F (62.8 °C) throughout, even though it may still be pink in the center, it should be safe. The pink color can be due to the cooking method or added ingredients.

Do you cook pork tenderloin fat side up or down? ›

Step 4: Place your pork, fat side up, in your prepared pan. Step 5: Add oiled/seasoned vegetables around your pork loin to make it a complete meal. Use vegetables that require longer cook times like potatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, and carrots. Step 6: Roast in a 400 F oven for 15 minutes.

Direct heat, where food is placed directly over the heat source, is ideal for small cuts like kabobs, tenderloin, burgers and chops. Indirect heat, where food is placed on the grill rack away from the coals or gas burners, is good for large cuts like loin roasts, ribs, shoulder and fresh ham.

Pork tenderloin and other loin cuts are excellent sources of protein, thiamine, vitamin B6, phosphorus and niacin and good sources of potassium, riboflavin and zinc. Carolyn O'Neil is a registered dietitian and co-author of "The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous." Email her at carolyn@carolynoneil.com.

At 400 degrees F, a 1-pound pork tenderloin will cook in 8 to 10 minutes after being seared on the stove. Unlike tough, fatty cuts of meat (like the shoulder used for Slow Cooker Pulled Pork), leaner cuts like pork tenderloin do not become more tender the longer they cook. Use a meat thermometer to be sure.

Pre-heat oven to 325F (165C). Bake pork tenderloin in the oven UNCOVERED for approximately 20-25 MINUTES *PER POUND* (44-55 MINUTES PER KILOGRAM) Or until internal temperature reaches 155F (68C), rested to a final 160F (71C).

Because of this, the USDA suggests cooking it to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the same temperature for every variation of pork you might choose from pork tenderloin to shoulder.

The Benefits of Cooking 'Slow-and-Low'

Not only does it make the meat far juicier and more tender but it also works with all kinds of meats. No matter your preference, this cooking method works well with whole cuts of pork, beef, lamb, and even veal.