Pan-Seared Oven-Roasted Pork Tenderloins
By America's Test KitchenPublished on November 28, 2011
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Sauce
1 teaspoon vegetable oil 1 large onion, halved and sliced ½ inch thick (about ½ cups)¾ cup port ¾ cup dried cherries 2 tablespoons orange marmalade 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 piecesPork
24 ounces pork tenderloins, (2 loins, 12 to 16 ounces each), trimmed of fat and silver skin1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper 2 teaspoons vegetable oilBefore You Begin
"Enhanced" pork--pork that has been injected with water, salt, and sodium phosphate--does not brown well owing to the extra moisture. We prefer natural pork tenderloins that have not been injected. Because two are cooked at once, tenderloins larger than 1 pound apiece will not fit comfortably in a 12-inch skillet. Time permitting, season the tenderloins up to 30 minutes before cooking; the seasonings will better penetrate the meat. The recipe will work in a nonstick or a traditional (not nonstick) skillet. A pan sauce can be made while the tenderloins rest (recipes follow); if you intend to make a sauce, make sure to prepare all of the sauce ingredients before cooking the pork.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle tenderloins evenly with salt and pepper; rub seasoning into meat. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Place both tenderloins in skillet; cook until well browned, 3 minutes. Using tongs, rotate tenderloins 1/4 turn; cook until well browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat until all sides are browned. Transfer tenderloins to rimmed baking sheet and place in oven (reserve skillet if making pan sauce); roast until internal temperature registers 135 to 140 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 10 to 16 minutes. (Begin pan sauce, if making, while meat roasts. Otherwise skip to step 4.)
- Immediately after placing pork in oven, add oil to still-hot skillet, swirl to coat, and set skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and browned about the edges, 5 to 7 minutes (if drippings are browning too quickly, add 2 tablespoons water and scrape up browned bits with wooden spoon). Set skillet aside off heat.
- While pork is resting, set skillet over medium-high heat and add port and cherries; simmer, scraping up browned bits with wooden spoon, until mixture is slightly thickened, 4 to 6 minutes. Add any accumulated pork juices and continue to simmer until thickened and reduced to about 1/3 cup, 2 to 4 minutes longer. Off heat, whisk in orange marmalade and butter, one piece at a time. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
- Transfer tenderloins to cutting board and tent loosely with foil (continue with pan sauce, if making); let rest until internal temperature registers 145 to 150 degrees, 8 to 10 minutes. Cut tenderloins crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, arrange on platter or individual plates, and spoon sauce (if using) over; serve immediately.
Yield
Serves 4Ingredients
Sauce
Pork
Ingredients
Sauce
Pork
Ingredients
Sauce
Pork
Why This Recipe Works
Because pork tenderloins are so lean, they cook relatively quickly and are therefore a good choice for an easy-to-prepare meal. But that same leanness means there’s also less flavor. Grilling is often used to add more flavor, but we wanted an indoor preparation for pork tenderloins that would deliver a flavor boost to this quick-cooking roast.
Simply roasted in the oven, the pork tended to dry out and never achieved the dark brown crust we wanted. We got that crust when we seared the tenderloins on the stovetop—but then the pork wasn’t cooked through. A combination of searing the meat in a skillet, then transferring the pork to the oven to finish cooking, produced a flavorful crust and well-cooked meat. The browned crust added some flavor, but we wanted more. A dry rub of just salt and pepper, left on for half an hour before searing, provided enough seasoning and further encouraged a browned crust, and a pan sauce made with the browned bits left from sautéing was an additional flavor boost. Not only were these pork tenderloins delicious; they were also on the dinner table in about half an hour.
Before You Begin
"Enhanced" pork--pork that has been injected with water, salt, and sodium phosphate--does not brown well owing to the extra moisture. We prefer natural pork tenderloins that have not been injected. Because two are cooked at once, tenderloins larger than 1 pound apiece will not fit comfortably in a 12-inch skillet. Time permitting, season the tenderloins up to 30 minutes before cooking; the seasonings will better penetrate the meat. The recipe will work in a nonstick or a traditional (not nonstick) skillet. A pan sauce can be made while the tenderloins rest (recipes follow); if you intend to make a sauce, make sure to prepare all of the sauce ingredients before cooking the pork.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle tenderloins evenly with salt and pepper; rub seasoning into meat. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Place both tenderloins in skillet; cook until well browned, 3 minutes. Using tongs, rotate tenderloins 1/4 turn; cook until well browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat until all sides are browned. Transfer tenderloins to rimmed baking sheet and place in oven (reserve skillet if making pan sauce); roast until internal temperature registers 135 to 140 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 10 to 16 minutes. (Begin pan sauce, if making, while meat roasts. Otherwise skip to step 4.)
- Immediately after placing pork in oven, add oil to still-hot skillet, swirl to coat, and set skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and browned about the edges, 5 to 7 minutes (if drippings are browning too quickly, add 2 tablespoons water and scrape up browned bits with wooden spoon). Set skillet aside off heat.
- While pork is resting, set skillet over medium-high heat and add port and cherries; simmer, scraping up browned bits with wooden spoon, until mixture is slightly thickened, 4 to 6 minutes. Add any accumulated pork juices and continue to simmer until thickened and reduced to about 1/3 cup, 2 to 4 minutes longer. Off heat, whisk in orange marmalade and butter, one piece at a time. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
- Transfer tenderloins to cutting board and tent loosely with foil (continue with pan sauce, if making); let rest until internal temperature registers 145 to 150 degrees, 8 to 10 minutes. Cut tenderloins crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, arrange on platter or individual plates, and spoon sauce (if using) over; serve immediately.
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