Broiled Pork Tenderloin (America's Test Kitchen)

By zircon50

Recipes for broiled pork tenderloin promise roasts with well-browned exteriors and rosy-pink, juicy centers, but the results are more likely pallid, overcooked meat or spottily browned roasts with undercooked interiors. Using a disposable aluminum pan to cook the pork reflected the radiant heat of the broiler toward the pork, enhancing browning and ensuring that the interior didn’t overcook by the time deep browning had been achieved. Since some ovens preheat faster than others and are likely to cycle off if preheated at such an intense heat for too long, we evened the playing field by preheating the oven to 325 degrees before putting in the roasts and turning on the broiler. And finally, because of the broiler’s intense heat, we found that there was a much bigger carryover cooking effect, so we pulled the roasts from the oven when they hit 125 to 130 degrees instead of our usual 140 degrees to ensure that they were a perfect medium-rare after their 10-minute rest.

Ingredients

• 2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 (13 by 9-inch) disposable aluminum roasting pan

Preparation

Step 1

1. Adjust oven rack 4 to 5 inches from broiler element and heat oven to 325 degrees. Fold thin tip of each tenderloin under about 2 inches to create uniformly shaped roast. Tie tenderloins crosswise with kitchen twine at 2-inch intervals, making sure folded tip is secured underneath. Trim excess twine close to meat to prevent it from scorching under broiler.

2. Mix salt, oil, and pepper in small bowl until salt is evenly coated with oil. Add baking soda and stir until well combined. Rub mixture evenly over pork. Place tenderloins in disposable pan, evenly spaced between sides of pan and each other.

3. Turn oven to broil. Immediately place meat in oven and broil tenderloins for 5 minutes. Flip tenderloins and continue to broil until golden brown and meat registers 125 to 130 degrees, 8 to 14 minutes. Remove disposable pan from oven, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Remove twine, slice tenderloins into 1/2-inch-thick slices, and serve.