Roasted Pork Tenderloin

If you’re in the mood for a simple dinner of meat and vegetables, but need to shake up your chicken breast (or pork chop) routine, pork tenderloin is your ticket. Pork tenderloin is one of the easiest, most relaxed cuts of meat to cook for dinner, and it’s one of my favorite weeknight meals. There’s no major preparation involved; just season and throw into the oven while you make a salad.

Here’s our best method for making tender, juicy pork tenderloin that tastes so good it may just earn a spot in your weekly meal rotation.

As Christine explains in her guide to buying pork chops, the tenderloin comes from the loin of the pig, which runs from the hip to the shoulder. The tenderloin itself is sometimes also called a pork “filet,” and it is one of the most tender cuts of meat on the animal, since it is not a muscle that receives much, if any, exercise.

This means that the tenderloin is usually a little more expensive than cuts of meat that need longer cooking, like the loin proper or pork butt (shoulder). It also means that it can be cooked quickly and easily, with no brining or braising needed.

This method is our favorite way to cook a pork tenderloin, and it’s very easy.

• Heat a cast iron pan in the oven. While the oven is heating to 450°, let a cast-iron pan heat for 10 to 20 minutes. This will help the pork get a good sear.
• Pat the pork tenderloin dry. Again, this helps develop a good sear, which is key for a good, flavorful crust.
• Season the pork tenderloin. You can keep it simple with salt and pepper, or rub your favorite spice mix all over the meat.
• Add the pork tenderloin to the (very hot!) pan . Very carefully remove the skillet from the oven, swirl it with oil, and throw in the pork tenderloin. Return the oven to the pan and let is cook for 10ish minutes.
• Flip the pork tenderloin. It’s an extra step that ensures an even crust all around.
• Finish the pork tenderloin in the oven. Return the pork tenderloin to the oven for the final time and let it cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Let the pork tenderloin rest. Tent the meat with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Pork tenderloin is usually fairly lean, so it’s important to not overcook it. It can quickly turn from tender and juicy to dry and chewy, so check the internal temperature and remove the pork from the pan as soon as the meat registers 140°F to 145°F in the thickest part of the meat.

It’s perfectly normal and fine for the pork to be a little pink inside, as long as it has reached the correct temperature in the thickest part of the meat.

Pork tenderloin is often sold in individual packages in the meat section of the grocery store. An individual tenderloin isn’t very much meat; it usually weighs about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds. So you’ll often find two tenderloins in one package.

If you come home with two, just cook both. Leftovers keep beautifully and are great in sandwiches. Or freeze one, if two is more than you can eat within a few days.

Pork tenderloins are also often sold packaged in a marinade. Personally, I avoid these, as I would prefer to season the meat myself (and control the amount of salt and oil used). It’s very quick and easy to roll a pork tenderloin in some salt and spices, or to create a paste of garlic and ginger to rub all over it.

Once you’ve mastered this method, try one of these other recipes too!

• Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin
• Garlic and Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin
• Southwestern-Spiced Pork Tenderloin
• Pork Tenderloin in Tangy Tomatillo Sauce
• Pork Tenderloin and Onion Jam Sandwiches