Perfect Pork Tenderloin

"My #1 way to cook a pork tenderloin or a boneless pork loin because it's ALWAYS moist and tender. It's easy and foolproof! If you like, marinate the roast and rub with any seasonings that please your palate! So many people have asked me how long to cook tenderloins if they have "more than one" to cook, I wanted to give a simple response. ANSWER: So long as the tenderloins are NOT touching each other, cook 3 or 4 individual tenderloins for the same amount of time as if you were cooking one. Remember, each tenderloin is cooking in its own separate space. EXAMPLE: If cooking three 1-pound tenderloins, cook them only 5-1/5 minutes TOTAL. This makes it a great entree recipe when having a dinner party for 8-12 people, or more. If you enjoy this pork recipe and cooking method, you might want to try my similar beef cooking method - Recipe #65987."
 
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photo by DianaEatingRichly photo by DianaEatingRichly
photo by DianaEatingRichly
photo by DianaEatingRichly photo by DianaEatingRichly
photo by gurulady photo by gurulady
photo by Dine  Dish photo by Dine  Dish
photo by DianaEatingRichly photo by DianaEatingRichly
Ready In:
10mins
Ingredients:
3
Serves:
4-5
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ingredients

  • 1 lb boneless pork tenderloin
  • salt and pepper
  • dry seasoning, of your choice (thyme, savory, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, or a mixture)
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directions

  • NOTE:  The success of this cooking method will depend upon how accurate the temperature of your oven is and how well your oven retains heat.  Adjust cooking time +/- according to your individual oven.
  • NOTICE: If you have a very old oven that is not well insulated, this recipe may not work for you, as heat retention/residual heat is important to the success of this recipe.
  • Determine the EXACT weight of roast from the meat wrapper. Weight will determine how long to cook the roast.
  • Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Remove tenderloin from refrigerator.  Season meat as desired.  Place seasoned meat in an uncovered roasting pan on a shelf in the bottom 1/3 of your oven.
  • Bake EXACTLY 5 1/2 minutes PER POUND. Adjust +/- according to your oven's accuracy and heat retention. NOTE:

  • IF YOU HAVE AN OVEN PROBE OR THERMOMETER THAT HAS A WIRE THAT GOES THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE OVEN DOOR, BY ALL MEANS USE IT AND SET THE TEMPERATURE ALARM FOR 140 DEGREES. REMOVE MEAT FROM OVEN WHEN ALARM ALERT GOES OFF (probably before an hour has expired).
  • Turn oven OFF and DO NOT open oven door for 45 to 1 hour, OR sooner IF you are using a probe thermometer and it alerts that internal meat temp is at 140 degrees. Remove pork from oven, lightly cover with foil, and let rest 5-10 minutes to redistribute internal juices. Roast should be done, very slightly pink in the center, and very moist.
  • After resting 10 minutes, the roast should reach a safe 145-150 degrees.
  • NOTE:******* For anyone questioning this method of cooking, it really does reach the proper internal temperature on a thermometer. According to Sara Moulton on FoodTV, trichinosos is killed at 138 degrees, and 145 is a safe temperature for pork, although the USDA recommends 160 degrees (meat will be much drier). If the center of the meat is not a little pink, it is overcooked!
  • VARIATION:  To make Roasted Veggies along with the tenderloin, peel carrots and potatoes, and cut into about 1-inch cubes.   Season as desired and drizzle with a little oil.  Add vegetables to pan around (but NOT touching) pork tenderloin.  Cook tenderloin as instructed above.  The roasted potatoes and carrots should be done when the roast is done.  You may need to adjust the size of the potatoes and carrots depending upon the weight of your tenderloin and how long you cook it.

Questions & Replies

  1. If you have two tenderloins and they do not touch each other, do you use the weight of one of both together?
     
  2. Put in oven cold from the refrigerator? no warming up the tenderloin before?
     
  3. This more a statement than a question. With today’s animal husbandry methods, Trichnosis has been virtually eliminated in the US.
     
  4. I usually just remove tenderloin from refrigerator, season, preheat oven, insert door-through thermometer, set temp alert and start cooking. it. I do not like to let meat sit at room temperature long enough to lose any of its juices.
     
  5. Is this recipe for pork loin or tenderloin? A tenderloin is rarely more than a pound and a half. Many pictures are of pork loin roasts of several pounds
     
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Reviews

  1. Wow - I am at a loss for words but this darn recipe is the best and It will be the only recipe for pork tenderloin I will ever use.. Hmmmmm - I wonder if this will work for other cuts of meats?? I marinated my pork overnight with a lit' olive oil and the herbs & spices.. We couldn't get enough of it. Thank you !
     
  2. Not one to shy away from unusual prep methods (see my recipe for cooking ribs in a crock pot with no liquid) I tried this recipe because pork loin is usually my least favorite cut of meat, red or white. I applied a rosemary garlic rub with a little paprika for color, cooked my 2.5 lb. tenderloin for the suggested time, and most of all, resisted a peek. When the hour was up the tenderloin was perfect, slightly crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The flavor was excellent and my wife and I enjoyed this cut of pork for the fist time in a long while. Thanks for adding pork tenderloin back to my rotation!
     
  3. UHHHHHH-MAZING! I have never been a fan of pork tenderloin, probably because I've only had the pre-seasoned kind. There are certain preservatives in the seasoned pork that I can actually taste, gross right? So I went on an adventure and bought a plain piece of pork tenderloin for $2.5, which was $4 cheaper than the same sized pre-seasoned pack.<br/>I mixed garlic-rosemary-thyme-salt-pepper-butter into a paste which I placed into slits I cut all over the meat. I slathered the pork with the remaining paste. I placed the tenderloin on a roasting rack, put a little chicken stock into the roasting pan, and cooked it according to the recipe. It cooked up perfectly! I added the leftover baking liquids to some mushrooms I had sauteed, and threw in a bit of flour, which made an amazing mushroom gravy to the already delicious pork tenderloin.<br/><br/>Make this. You will not regret it!
     
  4. Okay, I have never been able to cook a pork tenderloin that was moist. Whenever I tried to make it, my kids would all cringe. So I decided to give this one a try since the reviews were so good, well I am so glad I did! My pork was a complete success! It was juicy, moist and delicious, my kids could not get enough! Plus, once you make it, the recipe sticks in your head because it is so easy. Whoever figured this out is my hero, I will never have dry pork again! Thanks for the help :)
     
  5. I made this last year for a "Progressive Dinner" Christmas Party. It came out perfectly, and was thoroughly enjoyed by my 16 guests. I would recommend using a glass pan for this, however, as the metal pan I used was ruined. The marinade I used got so baked on that I had to use steel wool to get it off, resulting in a rusty pan.
     
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Tweaks

  1. Nothing tweaked...just trying various marinades and rubs...no matter what i do to it-if I cook it this way, it is always awesome! If it turns out sub par, it your fault, so fix your error! Less than 5 stars is criminal...criminal!
     
  2. I used a Weber grill rub and some added garlic.
     
  3. I've been using this method to cook prime rib roast for years. Just adjusted 5.5 time to 5.0 in 500 degree oven. Measuring weight x 5.0 cooks roast perfectly Med rare. Don't know why I didn't think of using the same method on pork. I'm glad I found your recipe. Thanks so much.
     
  4. Make sure that the weight of the tenderloin is for one, not the packet. We buy tenderloins in packs of two; so the idea of checking the weight on the package is incorrect. It is per tenderloin. Next time I will only leave it in the oven with the door closed for 45 minutes or 50, rather than one hour. Great recipe.
     
  5. Your odds of contracting trichinosis from commercially raised hogs is extremely rare. I would only be concerned if it were wild boar or ones that are raised privately . During 2008–2012, 15 cases were reported per year on average. Animals can become infected with Trichinella when they feed on other infected animals or on garbage containing infected meat scraps.
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I am a retired computer programmer, teacher, and cookbook author. Hubby and I have a grown daughter & SIL, son & DIL and 2 grandgirls. My favorite hobbies: cooking, Silhouette crafting, sewing, embroidery and wearable art, quilting, genealogy research, reading,
 
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