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How To Cook Pork Tenderloin

How to Cook Pork Tenderloin (Recipe)

  • Author: Christine Pittman
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x
  • Category: Entrée
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American

DESCRIPTION

It can be tough to cook a juicy pork tenderloin, but we have all the tricks you need here.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 Tbsp. Morton’s kosher salt*
  • 4 cups cold tap water
  • 1lb. pork tenderloin
  • metal skewers
  • seasonings (pepper, garlic powder, etc.)

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl or ziptop bag, dissolve the salt in the water.
  2. Remove the silverskin from the tenderloin and then put it into the bowl or ziptop bag with the salt water solution. Make sure the tenderloin is completely surrounded and covered by the water.
  3. Let it sit in the brine for at least 15 minutes. 30-60 minutes is even better. If you’re doing more than 30 minutes, refrigerate the pork in the brine for the first 30 minutes and then take it out of the fridge for the second 30 minutes.
  4. Remove the tenderloin from the liquid and pat dry. Discard the liquid.
  5. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  6. Tuck the skinny side of the tenderloin in and secure it with metal skewers or butcher’s twine.
  7. Season with any seasonings you’d like. Just remember that you already brined the tenderloin in salt so don’t add any salt or seasoning blends that contain salt here.
  8. Put the pork tenderloin in a baking dish that fits it easily without needing to bend it at all.
  9. Bake uncovered for 20-27 minutes, until the internal temperature on an instant read thermometer is at 145°F, or if you like it less rare, for 25-35 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 157F.
  10. Let the tenderloin rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes and then slice it in about 1/2-inch slices and serve.

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Notes

*Make sure if you’re using kosher salt that it is Morton’s brand. Different brands have different sized crystals and so the measurements aren’t equivalent. If you don’t have Morton’s Kosher Salt, you can use 3 tablespoons of regular table salt mixed with the 4 cups of water instead.