How to Roast Pork Tenderloin

One of the things that has always confused me about the way the meat industry markets pork tenderloin is the way it is so frequently sold in a marinade. Marinades serve two basic purposes: the first is to impart flavor into the meat, usually because it has little; the second is to tenderize the meat, but this is usually reserved for cuts of meat that are tough and chewy. As far as I am concerned, pork tenderloin is neither tough nor flavorless. So why the marinade? One possibility is that meat in a marinade has a much longer shelf life and can be frozen. Pork tenderloin has a high potential retail value, and because it is expensive, it will cost the company a lot of money if no one buys it. So preserving the tenderloin allows producers of pork the opportunity to recoup losses when the public isn't buying as much tenderloin. Kinda like a farmer siloing his grain until the price/demand goes back up, except more manipulative and a whole lot more condescending.

That an industry would purposely sabotage one of its best and most delicious commodities just so they can make more money is hard to believe. Well, actually maybe not so hard to believe—it's capitalism, baby! If you are thinking to yourself, "I like those marinated pork tenderloins," then I'm guessing that you have never eaten otherwise. Those things are like fast food versions of what I am trying to do. Pork tenderloin is delicious on its own, sans marinade. Just try this recipe, and you may understand.

Steps to Roasting Pork Tenderloin

1. Why is a pork tenderloin tender? Because of the meat's location in a pig, it is relatively free of large amounts of fat. But this strategic location is also the key to its tenderness. As a muscle, it serves no real purpose other than just being there. It is so infrequently used that it never develops into a functioning muscle. This is similar to veal, in that the muscle is rarely used and therefore tender. It isn't atrophy so much as it is simply a lack of development.
2. Look over the pork tenderloin to see if it needs to be trimmed up at all. The meat should be ready to go, providing you have a reputable butcher who has a face that you have seen and a voice which you have heard. I urge you to purchase meat from a person. So many grocery stores have a meat section but no butcher. Or, if they have butchers, they are tucked away, accessible only to those persistent enough. Generally speaking, purchasing something from a person who stands by or near their product will work out better for you.
3. To roast a pork tenderloin, you will require something to put it in and some flavors to roast it with. To start with, preheat the oven to 450 F and season the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper. After that, you can add three more flavors—but only three. I went with garlic, peppadew peppers and pickled cipollini onions. The onions were pickled with balsamic vinegar: very tasty little buggers. Also, easy to find, either in the pickle section or on an olive bar at your local grocery store. If you can't find them, no big deal. Just use regular onion, or don't use onion at all. Use one of the other 10 suggestions to the right. Put it all into a pan or on a roasting rack and put it in the preheated oven.
4. To make sure the pork tenderloin cooks to the right temperature, you may want to use a digital thermometer with a detachable probe that can be in the meat while it is in the oven. This will enable you to monitor the internal temperature of the roast as it cooks. You will then be able to take it out at the precise moment it is done. Isn't that awesome? The target temperature here is 150 degrees F, but the temperature will continue to rise by a couple degrees after you take it out. So I always remove the roast at 145, cover it loosely with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting it up. This will allow the roast to finish cooking and cool down to a temperature that will be safe to cut it at.

Variations on Roast Pork

For really juicy pork roasts, you can slow-roast it, uncovered, at 200 degrees. This method will take a couple hours, but the result may be worth the wait. And to get the crispy exterior, you can stick it under the broiler for a few minutes. There are a lot of ways to roast pork tenderloin. Just don't overcook it.

Tips and Tricks for Roasting Pork

1. Wait until the oven achieves the desired temperature before putting the roast in. Putting an oven thermometer on one of the racks is the best way to be sure. The oven thermostat may not be accurate.
2. Don't skip the resting step, as cutting into the meat while it is still very hot will dry it out.
3. Check the temperature of the pork tenderloin roast by placing the tip of the thermometer probe in the very center of the roast. Push it straight down from the top into the very middle.