Pork tenderloin is a perennially popular cut, for good reasons: It's inexpensive, boneless, and tender, and a single tenderloin pretty reliably serves four people. It also cooks in a flash, making it the perfect cut of meat for a last-minute weeknight supper.
The tenderloin is cut from a muscle located behind the shoulder that is never worked hard or significantly developed, because its only function is to help the pig stand upright. It's analogous to beef tenderloin, the part of the cow's torso that's left whole for filet of beef or cut into thick steaks for filet mignon. And, like filet mignon, pork tenderloin is lean, extremely tender, and not particularly flavorful.
There are many ways to add flavor to it, like wrapping the entire tenderloin in bacon strips or soaking it in marinade, but none of this added flavor does much good if the loin dries out as it cooks. And unfortunately it can be difficult to identify the exact moment that tenderloin is done but not yet dry, especially if you're cooking it whole. To sidestep this problem -- and to further capitalize on the fact that tenderloin cooks quite quickly -- I like to cut tenderloin into pieces and cook them as fast as possible (in a decent amount of fat, of course), and to add other ingredients for interesting textures and flavors.
Stir-fries, therefore, are obvious, and also lightning-quick and terrific. When you cut pork into very thin slices (this is easier to do if you put it in the freezer for fifteen to thirty minutes first), you can brown them nicely on both sides in just a couple of minutes and never have worry about whether they'll be too rare inside. My recipe includes asparagus (though you could also use green beans) along with garlic, ginger, and fermented black beans. (If your local grocery store doesn't stock fermented black beans, see if you can find them at an Asian market. You can also leave them out, but you may have to add a little more soy sauce to compensate for the lost flavor.) Like many stir-fry recipes, this one requires cooking the different ingredients individually, removing them from the pan, and then adding them back at the end to bring all the flavors together. Still, the whole process takes only half an hour.
One of my favorite ways to cook pork tenderloin is a little retro, but really delicious, and even faster than stir-frying. Cut the meat into thin slices, pound them between sheets of wax paper to make them even thinner, then dredge them in seasoned flour and cook them in olive oil. The medallions take two to three minutes per side -- no more -- and the thin crust of flour makes them brown and crispy on the outside but still moist within. A quick lemon-caper sauce made in the same pan after you've removed the pork provides a jolt of assertive flavor and comes together in minutes. You can vary this recipe as you like, though, by adding spices or herbs to the pan sauce, substituting stock or beer for the wine, or using garlic in place of the capers.
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.