The pork tenderloin is the most tender of all cuts. It is the filet mignon of pork. Yet, it is one of the most value-priced cuts of meat there is. There is absolutely no waste, it’s lean and nutritious and it’s very inexpensive, about $5 a pound. But I rarely buy it.
For some reason, I have been unable to cook and serve pork tenderloin that I considered a knockout dish. I have tried all sorts of marinades and sauces to no avail.
Yet, as I passed by the meat department on a recent grocery run, I saw the tenderloins and they were on sale. In the eternal battle with the bathroom scales, I was looking for a healthy meat and I felt if I ate another chicken meal I would begin laying eggs by week’s end.
So I decided to give the loin another try, wondering what kind of fancy marinade I could devise.
Then it hit me. Pork is good just as it is. My favorite barbeque, in fact, comes from a hog that is fresh off the smoker, before any sauce has been added. So I made the decision to cook my tenderloin au naturel, nothing but salt and pepper.
It was delicious.
There was no special preparation. I simply removed the tenderloin from the refrigerator about a half hour before I would cook it, and laced the small cut of meat with kosher salt and McCormick’s Coarse Ground Pepper. And I mean “laced”. I wanted to create something of a crust when I cooked the pork in a hot oven. I set the temperature at 425 and put the pork in for about 30 minutes. You want the pork to be at least slightly pink (about 150 degrees internal temperature). If it goes past 165, you’re in trouble. It will be dry and tasteless: A past problem with my tenderloin attempts. The heavy coating of salt and pepper complimented the mild pork and it had a nice crust.
Many consider pork to be a no-no on a diet, but it’s really not. In fact, lean pork compares favorably with chicken in the calorie department. A 4-ounce portion is just 185 calories. You can lose weight with an entrée like that. And, the leftover pork makes incredible sandwiches the next day – assuming you have any left over.
Fellow chefs, reconsider the pork tenderloin. If you have a “fancy, dancey” marinade, go for it. But all it really needs is lots of salt and pepper and a good meat thermometer to prevent overcooking
Plain and Simple Pork Tenderloin
1 Pork Tenderloin (Approximately 1 pound)
Kosher Salt
Coarsely Ground Black Pepper
Cook approximately 30 minutes in a 425 oven.
That’s it!