Pork tenderloin is a lean tender cut of meat. It’s often overlooked but it’s one of my favorite cuts of meat because it’s affordable and becomes the same consistency of filet mignon if soaked in a brine. A brine is typically a salt or salt, sugar and water solution used to enhance the flavor and tenderness of meat before cooking. Adding herbs, garlic and spices is also an option for added flavor. For this recipe I use a combination of brown sugar, kosher salt, fresh garlic cloves and black peppercorns for the perfect combination.
Pork tenderloin is not the same as pork loin. It’s easy to confuse the two. Pork loin is a larger, wider cut that comes from the back of the pig. It’s sold as chops, or a roast and is typically lean but can have a fat cap. Pork tenderloin, on the other hand, is much smaller and more tender. It comes from a different muscle along the backbone and cooks more quickly. Be sure you get pork tenderloin and not pork loin.
For the brine be sure to use cold water. Hot or warm water can create an ideal environment for bacteria to grow. Start with cold water. Don’t worry, the sugar and salt will still dissolve if whisked. The recipe calls for brown sugar. The molasses in the brown sugar adds a little depth of flavor. If all you have is granulated sugar, that will work too. Use fresh garlic over jarred or garlic powder. Also, use peppercorns and not ground black pepper. They are not interchangeable.
Brined Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 2-2.5 lb pork tenderloin (usually with two tenderloins per pack)
- 8 c cold water
- 1 c brown sugar
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 6 garlic cloves shamshed
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
Instructions
- Remove pork tenderloin from the packaging and remove excess fat and any silver skin.
- To a mixing bowl add water, sugar and salt. Whisk until both are dissolved.
- Smash the garlic cloves, remove the skin and add to the water along with the black peppercorns.
- Add the pork tenderloin, cover and refrigerate for 8 hours.
- Remove the pork from the brine 30 minutes before cooking. Discard the brine.
- If cooking in a pan, preheat over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Add olive oil to the pan and add the pork tenderloin. Cook for 3 minutes on each side (four sides) for a total of 12 minutes. Take the pan completely off the heat and set on a cold burner, cover and let the pork tenderloin continue cooking via residual heat for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the pan, slice and serve.
- If you're grilling, preheat the grill on high for 10 minutes. Place the pork tenderloin on one side. Turn the heat down to low on the opposite side the pork is not on. You will have a hot and warm side.
- Close the lid and cook for 90 seconds. Do this for all four sides. For a total cook time on the hot side of 6 minutes.
- Place the pork tenderloin on the warm side on it's flatter side. Close the lid and cook for 4 minutes.
- Flip and cook on the other flatter side for another 4 minutes with the lid closed.
- Remove the meat and cover tightly with foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes befores slicing and serving.