How to Bake Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin is one of my favorite cuts of meat. it has the tenderness of a filet mignon, it's simple to cook, and it works fabulously with all kids of different flavors; making it one of more flexible proteins out there.

And there is a lot of different ways to cook it. One of my goto's is to simple bake, or roast it off, in the oven. However, you've got to use the right technique. Many people, when they think of baking, think cookies or brownies; set the oven at 350 and cook for an hour. That's going to leave you with a dry, flabby, tough piece of pork.

Instead, I'm going to show you how to back it at high temperature, after doing a quick sear to get a flavorful crust on the outside. Give it a try and let me know how it goes.

Keys to a perfect baked tenderloin

1. Season the pork tenderloin. At a minimum, coat it liberally with salt and pepper before cooking. Add some spices if you'd like.
2. Sear before baking. In a hot pan on top of the stove, give all the sides browned in a hot pan
3. Bake at high temperature - set the oven to 425 or so

How to Bake a Pork Tenderloin

• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
• Remove the pork tenderloin from the package and pat dry with paper towels
• Using a sharp knife, remove the "silver skin", which his tendon-like layer on the thicker side of the pork
• Season all sides of the pork liberally with salt and pepper. Adding spices like cumin, chile peppers, thyme, etc...can be a nice addition as well
• Allow the pork to sit out and come to room temperature - about 20 minutes
• Heat a large, oven proof pan, over a burner, and coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil
• Carefully lay the pork into the pan - you should get a loud sizzle; if you don't, remove the pork and allow the pan to heat up more
• Don't move of flip the pork for 2 - 3 minutes; instead let that first side sear
• Once deeply browned, turn the pork tenderloin over, and sear the second side
• Repeat the process, keeping the heat up, and getting browned on all sides
• Move the entire pan into a pre-heated 425 degree oven; if your pan is not oven proof, transfer the pork into a baking dish coated with oil, that has pre-heated in the oven.
• Allow the pork to bake for about 10 minutes. You want the internal temp to reach 145 degrees for a medium cooked tenderloin
• Remove from the oven and allow the pork tenderloin to rest for about 5 - 8 minutes before slicing up

And you're done! I like to serve the baked pork tenderloin in slices about an inch thick; with my favorite sides. Enjoy it!