This is the ultimate preparation for whole roasted pork tenderloin. Thanks to Thomas Keller, we can all enjoy restaurant quality pork tenderloin in our homes!
As the main attraction for my sister's birthday dinner, I made a slightly adapted version of Thomas Keller's brined pork tenderloin from Ad Hoc at Home. One component, slices of cured lemon required 2 weeks advance notice to prepare. That didn't happen. I decided to just omit lemons entirely.
I also omitted fresh rosemary from both the brine and pork because I didn't have any, but I used plenty of thyme and other herbs and spices. This pork was incredibly juicy and flavorful. Although the pork wasn't salty, I think brining the pork shy of 4 hours wouldn't hurt it either.
My pork was pink and juicy when I cut it, but unfortunately it sat for a few minutes before I was able to plate and the residual heat made the pink tone on the exterior of the slices fade, but they were still pink and perfect inside! Take my word for it!
Even without the cured lemons, I think this tenderloin is great. The brine adds a lot of flavor and helps maintain juiciness in this very lean cut of meat. It is the perfect canvas for the sweet carrots and peppery parsnips with which it shares a plate.
Other recipes you may like
- Jägerschnitzel (Schnitzel with Mushroom Gravy)
- Milanese Pork with Tomato-Balsamic Sauce
- Pork Lo Mein
- Confit Byaldi (Thomas Keller's Ratatouille)
- Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- Braised Chicken Thighs with Olives, Lemon, and Fennel
- Jean-Louis Palladin's Brioche via Thomas Keller
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Brined Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
Pork Brine:
- 4 ½ tablespoons honey
- 9 bay leaves
- ½ bunch (½ ounce) thyme
- ½ bunch (about 2 ounces) flat-leaf parsley
- ½ cup garlic cloves crushed, skin left on
- 1 ½ tablespoons black peppercorns
- ¾ cup (3 ¾ ounces) Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
- 6 cups water
Pork:
- 2 pork tenderloins (about 1 ¼ pounds each), silverskin and excess fat removed
- Canola oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves smashed, skin left on
- 6 thyme sprigs
Instructions
- To make the brine: Combine all the brine ingredients in a large pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat and cool completely, then chill before using. The brine can be refrigerated for up to three days.
- Pour the brine into a container large enough to hold the pork and add the pork. Refrigerate for 4 hours (no longer, or the pork may become too salty).
- Remove the pork (discard the brine) and rinse under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels, or let air-dry. Let the tenderloin sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set a roasting rack in a roasting pan.
- Pour some canola oil into a large frying pan or small roasting pan large enough to hold the pork and heat over medium-high heat until hot.
- Season the tenderloins with kosher salt and pepper, add to the pan and sear, turning them occasionally, until golden brown on all sides, about 6 minutes.
- Add the butter, garlic, and thyme and cook, tilting the pan and using the spoon to baste the pork with the juices, for 2 minutes.
- Transfer the meat to the roasting rack. Top with the garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Roast until the internal temperature is 135° to 140°F (use the latter if you prefer your pork less pink), about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the meat rest for 15 minutes for medium-rare to medium.
- Slice the pork on the diagonal into ½-to-¾–inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices on a serving platter and garnish with the garlic and thyme.
Notes
- Since the pork doesn't absorb all of the brine, the nutritional information here is a very loose estimate assuming it absorbs at least a couple tablespoons of salt from the brine as well as some of the calories from the honey.
- Adapted from Ad Hoc at Home
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
Carrie says
I noticed you didn't list the sodium content. Any idea what that amount would be? I've never added honey to my brine, but I'll definitely be trying that instead of brown sugar. Thanks!
Victoria says
Hi Carrie,
That's a great question, but not an easy one to answer 🙂 With a brine, it's impossible to really estimate how much salt gets absorbed into the meat. That being said, I recalculated the nutritional information to assume that at least a couple tablespoons of the salt gets absorbed into the pork (but I'm not a scientist and don't have the tools to figure out how much actually gets absorbed). I also accounted for some of the calories from the honey being absorbed, and I removed the other items from my calculation (like the herbs) that would add flavor but not actually be consumed. I hope this helps!
Beth says
I had some boneless pork chops and decided to try this: I only had Pink Himalayan salt and I added a cup of white wine (less one cup of water) but it came out amazing and everyone ate every bit! great recipe!!