For me, pork tenderloin was almost always a let down. It came out (much like chicken breasts) overcooked and under flavoured. This recipe is the solution. It requires planning ahead but is well worth the effort. A brine the night before makes the tenderloin succulent. A marinade the day of adds an intense sweet and savoury flavour that pleases just about anyone. And, of course - being Canadian, it has maple syrup. Who doesn't love maple syrup?
This is the first in a 2 part series on pork tenderloin. These series have been really popular on the blog, and I understand why. You can double down on cooking in round one & reserve the left overs. These can then easily be transformed and voila! you have a tasty meal later on in the week with minimal effort. In my opinion, it's the way to go. That is ... if you have any left overs.
Tenderloins are paired up, matching thick to thin ends, forming tenderloin roasts to ensure they cook uniformly.
The first step in prepping pork tenderloin is removing the silver skin. It's a tough, chewy membrane and it can be a bit tricky to remove. If you've never done it before, there is a great instructional video here.
Throwing the tenderloins into a brine overnight at this point means they will be succulent after cooking and well seasoned. I understand we are all busy and many people won't have time for an overnight brine, but it really does make a considerable difference. If you can, plan the night before, take 10 minutes and chuck them in a brine - you'll be happy you did.
The other tip I have for tenderloins is to pair them up, two by two. I originally learned this from cooks illustrated and it's a fantastic tip. In the photo above I've prepped 6 brined tenderloins and tied two together in pairs, forming three 'loin roasts'. The reason for doing this is simple. If you look at your tenderloin, you'll notice a thick end and a thin end. Those differences in thickness means the tenderloin will cook unevenly. By pairing them up and matching thick to thin, you get a loin roast that is perfectly uniform along its length. That means it will cook evenly and you'll have a perfectly cooked tenderloin from end to end.
Marinaded and ready to go!