Cooking Pork Tenderloin How to Cook Gourmet. I often think that cooking pork tenderloin is a lost art. Everyone has a great steak recipe, or a roast chicken or beef roast recipe to die for. One project that I have been wanting to try for a while was making a Cuban style roast pork and with a recent sale it was the right time to make it Cuban. Preparing Salt Pork. Salt pork usually comes in block form but sometimes will be sold already sliced like bacon. If you are using commercially brined salt pork and. Rinse and pat dry pork with paper towel. Cut pork into 112 inch cubes. In large bowl, add pork, Hawaiian Alea Sea Salt, and soy sauce. Toss until all the meat. Get the best pork chops you can, and the thickest, and give yourself a good 12 hours or more of lead time to soak them in the brine If you are omitting the anise in. This white beans recipe is from Fabio Trabocchis cookbook, Cucina of Le Marche, and goes wonderfully with his Grilled Pork Chops. But who ever brags about their pork tenderloin recipes I do, thats who. I love cooking pork tenderloin, and when you finish reading this web page I hope you will be warming up to it too. It really is a great cut of meat, being inexpensive, highly versatile and succulent. Reasons to Love Pork Tenderloin. At first look, pork tenderloin the long, slender, cylindrical cut that comes from the full loin may appear expensive. But with no bone and very little fat, theres no waste. Most tenderloins run to 1 pounds one will serve three to four diners. Pork tenderloin is one of the quickest cooking cuts of meat. You can grill a tenderloin over direct heat in less than 1. Cooking pork tenderloin lends itself to varied methods and presentations. Roasted or grilled whole, it can be brought to the table for carving on an oblong or oval platter or sliced into thick medallions and fanned on the plate. Make a quick and healthy meal with the other white meat with these 20minute pork recipes. Healthy recipes from Cooking Light. Pressure Cooker Pork Roast is made in an electric pressure cooker with baby carrots and potatoes. Cooking With Salt Pork' title='Cooking With Salt Pork' />You can cut it before cooking and skewer it for kebabs or even use it in a stir fry. It works equally well as a weeknight entre or an elegant dinner party centerpiece. Stuffed pork tenderloin is particularly impressive. For an intimate dinner, butterfly a tenderloin by slicing it lengthwise almost all the way through and opening it out like a book. Cooking With Salt Pork Meat' title='Cooking With Salt Pork Meat' />This lean, quickcooking cut is the chicken breast of the pork world. It stands up to bold flavors and is so versatile it can move from downhome casual to elegant to. Stepbystep instructions on how to dice salt pork before cooking with this saltcured pork. Roast pork with crackling. Choosing the right pork to roast. Cooking times and temperatures. Paint the open surfaces with a pesto style sauce or layer in a fruit nut stuffing or a traditional bread stuffing. See Mushroom Spinach Stuffed Pork Tenderloin recipe below. For a larger party, try a double stuffed tenderloin Butterfly two tenderloins sandwich them together, cut sides together with stuffing between them tie them with kitchen twine and roast. Either way, when the roast is sliced into medallions, the line of stuffing in the center offers dramatic visual appeal. Pork tenderloin can be served hot or room temperature, making it perfect for potluck, picnic or buffet. You can pre slice it and offer a dipping sauce add sandwich makings, if you like. Tips for Cooking Pork Tenderloin. Take its temperature The tenderloins small size and leanness make it susceptible to overcooking, so an instant read thermometer is a must when cooking pork tenderloin. The National Pork Board suggests cooking to a final internal temperature of 1. F degrees, which can be achieved by cooking to 1. F degrees and removing the tenderloin from the oven to rest 1. Gourmet chefs prefer removing the pork at 1. F degrees it is perfectly safe at this temperature and letting it rest 5 minutes. If youre put off by pink pork, use the higher figure, but 1. If youll be reheating the meat, 1. Flavor it This mild flavored cut lends itself to dry rubs, marinades and brining. Brining, which enhances juiciness, is simpler than you think. Just mix a quart of cold water, cup sugar and cup table salt in a large resealable plastic bag include spices, aromatics and citrus juice or zest for more flavor. Even 3. 0 minutes will make a difference, but you can brine it up to 8 hours in the fridge. Marinades can be as simple as olive oil and garlic, but if you use an acid such as citrus juice, dont marinate more than 2 hours, or the meat will be mushy. Dry rubs ground herbs and spices, chiles, paprikas can be applied several hours ahead of time, but even a last minute rub will punch up your pork. Glaze it Barbecue sauces fruit preserves, jellies and jams reduced fruit purees and juices and syrups are all potential ingredients for a glaze. Apply the glaze after youve seared the meat and before the final cooking. Grill it Its small size, tenderness and lack of fat make the pork tenderloin ideal for grilling. Sear the tenderloin on the hottest part of the grill for about 1 minutes on each side and then cooking over either direct heat, 2 to 3 minutes more per side, or indirect heat, for 1. Pan roast it This is my favorite method of cooking pork tenderloin. Take the tenderloin out of the fridge 3. Preheat the oven to 4. Film an ovenproof skillet with oil and sear the tenderloin over medium high heat to brown all sides, about 5 minutes in all. If youre using a glaze, apply it now. Place skillet in the oven and roast 1. F degrees. Remove from the oven, tent the pork with foil and let it rest about 5 minutes before serving. If you dont use a glaze, make a quick pan sauce by deglazing the skillet with chicken broth, wine, fruit juice or another flavorful liquid. Leftover Pork Tenderloin. Slice it, top it with barbecue sauce or horseradish mustard and stuff it in a roll for sandwiches. Slice it thinly and fan it over crisp greens for a sesame and soy dressed Asian salad. Cube it, heat it briefly in a skillet with salsa and spoon it over rice. Cube it, heat it briefly in a skillet with pasta sauce and toss it with pasta. Cube it, toss it with sliced onions and bell peppers in a dry nonstick or cast iron skillet over high heat, and serve it with tortillas and salsa verde or chipotle sauce, taco or fajita style. Flavor Profiles for Cooking Pork Tenderloin. Latin Use ground ancho or other chiles, cumin and garlic powder in dry rubs adobo style citrus garlic marinades mole or verde sauces. Apple Chipotle Pork Tenderloin and Chili Espresso Pork Tenderloin Recipes. Italian Garlic and rosemary are classic with roast pork. Caribbean Mix together equal parts brown sugar and rum, then add Dijon mustard. Asian Theres almost no Asian sauce that doesnt go with pork. Hoisin makes a quick glaze citrus soy with garlic and fresh ginger works as a marinade, glaze or dipping sauce. Or go Indian and coat your tenderloin with a tandoori style paste, or glaze it with a chutney thinned with lime juice. Honey Gingered Pork Tenderloin and Chinese Pork Tenderloin Recipes. Fruity Pork pairs well with almost any fruit add some tartness for balance if the fruit is quite sweet. Cherries, blackberries, peaches, pineapples and apples all are good bets, either as glaze ingredients or roasted in the pan with the tenderloin. Pork Satays with Zesty Peach Chutney Recipe. Nutty Nuts are a wonderful addition to any stuffing for cooking pork tenderloin, or paint the tenderloin with Dijon mustard and coat it with a crust of chopped pecans or other nuts before roasting. Pillsberry. Mushroom and Spinach Stuffed Pork Tenderloin. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Parmigiano Reggiano cup low salt canned chicken broth. Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 4. F. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy, ovenproof 1. Add the mushrooms, sprinkle with teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until browned and tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach, sprinkle with salt, and cook, tossing well with tongs, until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer the spinach mixture to a colander and set the skillet aside. Prior to cooking pork tenderloin, trim the pork of any silverskin or excess fat. Butterfly the tenderloin by making a horizontal slice lengthwise through the tenderloin almost all the way to the other side. Open the meat flat, like a book. Cover with plastic wrap, and using a meat mallet, a small, heavy skillet, or the heel of your hand, lightly pound the pork so that its inch thick. Rub the pork all over with 1 tablespoon of the oil, half of the thyme, and about teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Squeeze any excess liquid from the spinach and mushrooms. Spread over the pork, leaving bare a 2 inch border along one long edge. Sprinkle on the Parmigiano. Starting with the long side thats covered with filling, roll the stuffed tenderloin toward the bare border side so that it forms a cylinder, and secure it with four or five toothpicks or kitchen twine. Wipe the skillet clean if necessary. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet over medium high heat until shimmering hot. Sear the pork on all three non seam sides until well browned, about 6 minutes total. Boston. Sidewalks 5 Things You Need to Know Before Cooking with Salt Pork. Im busy, just tell me how to fry it. I remember growing up in the Boston area and salt pork was a staple in the kitchen. If my mother was frying fish she would render the salt pork and fry a nice piece of fresh haddock rolled in corn meal in the rendered fat. Just doesnt taste the same in vegetable oil. And the best part of it was the crunchy, salty little pork bits that were on the side of the fish. Delicious Artisan Salt Pork in Package. What is salt porkSelecting Salt Pork Preparing Salt Pork Cooking Salt Pork Frying Salt Pork 1. What is Salt Pork Salt pork is similar to bacon in its appearance. It can be made from the pork side, the pork belly or the fatback of the pig which is the layer of fat under the skin on the back of the pig. Most readily available salt pork is made from pork belly which will produce a product that is a combination of meat and fat to mostly fat. Salt pork is similar to bacon in that both are salt cured first but with salt pork, thats the end of the process. Bacon is further cured and smoked giving it a completely different flavor. Salt pork is more similar to pancetta which is the Italian version of bacon and is sold in rolls. Pancetta typically has more meat than salt pork and is cured with salt and herbs to give it a different flavor. Experiment with salt pork, bacon and pancetta and see which flavor profile you like best. And each certainly has its place in the kitchen and in your recipes. Salt pork is a very traditional ingredient in New England recipes like Boston Baked Beans and New England Clam chowder. Top 2. Selecting Salt Pork. There are three variables to consider when selecting salt pork. First, and maybe the least important because in most cases this is decided for you, is the cut of the pork whether it is from the side, the belly or the back. Second is the quality of the pork whether it is from a large commercial manufacturer or an artisanal producer, whether it has been treated with chemicals, what it has been fed and generally how it lived its life. Third is the curing method whether it is cured with salt crystals or brining liquid and whether it contains sodium nitrite or curing salt which is what gives it the distinctive red color. I dont think you need to go crazy in your hunt for salt pork unless you really have a preference for artisanal products. The traditionally salt cured artisanal product will have a stronger flavor and the meat will be a brownish color. You will also be able to feel the salt when you remove it from the package. The more readily available commercial products will have that reddish color to the meat that looks more like bacon and there will be no salt crystals present on the product. I encourage you to try the different cuts and sources of salt pork in your recipes. It may be considered an acquired taste but once you learn how to incorporate it, you will be glad you did. Top Cutting Up Artisan Salt Pork. Commercially Brined Salt Pork. Preparing Salt Pork. Salt pork usually comes in block form but sometimes will be sold already sliced like bacon. If you are using commercially brined salt pork and you dont see or feel any visible salt on the product it is ready for use. If you are using an artisanal product and it has salt on the outside, you can rinse the salt off before using it. Some people will soak it or parboil it, especially if it is the featured part of the dish and is not being used as a background flavor. Next you need to decide whether you want it sliced or cubed and how thick you want those pieces. Once you have it cut up you are ready to get cooking. Top 4. Cooking Salt Pork. Salt pork is used in one of three ways. You can use it to render fat as the basis for sauteing vegetables at the start of a dish. You can put it into a dish like beans where it will add fat and flavor during the cooking process. And last, in the past people used to cure the salt pork as a means of preservation and then use it as a main dish. If you are going to do this I would recommend that you start with plain pork belly and cure or marinate it yourself. So for purposes of this discussion we will focus on frying it and using it in cooked dishes. When you fry salt pork just as you would bacon, there will be two byproducts from the cooking process. Rendered fat left in the pan, and the bits or slices of salt pork that will be salty, crispy, golden in color and delicious. The rendered fat will add tremendous flavor to any dish you are making such as clam chowder. And speaking of clam chowder, serve it with oyster crackers and the little bits of salt pork. It will make the dish very special. Frying Salt Pork Cubes. If you are adding the salt pork to a dish like baked beans or black eyed peas, you will want to prepare it in large cubes or strips. Add it right in with all the other ingredients, or just in the water if you are boiling green beans, and it will add a lot of flavor and a velvety texture to the dish. Boston Baked Beans with Salt Pork. Frying Salt Pork Heres what you do to fry salt pork. Cut the salt pork into 14 38 inch cubes. Add them to a heavy bottom pot, preferably the pot in which you will be making the recipe. Turn the heat to medium high. Fry the cubes until the fat is rendered and the cubes are crispy, like bacon. Remove the cubes with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with a paper towel, reserve for later use. Continue your recipe using the rendered fat in the pan. Drain Salt Pork Cubes on Paper Towels. So however you decide to use salt pork in your recipes, experiment with it and enjoy it Top Check out the Boston. Sidewalks recipe for New England Clam Chowder where we use salt pork for rendered fat and for the little cracklings to use as a garnish to the chowder. Or maybe try the Boston Baked Beans where we use it to flavor and add texture to the dish.