Broiled Pork Tenderloin - ATK

By norsegal8

We prefer natural pork, but if you use enhanced pork (injected with a salt solution), reduce the salt in step 2 to 1 1/2 teaspoons. A 3-inch-deep aluminum roasting pan is essential. Do not attempt this recipe with a drawer broiler. For more information on using your broiler, see related content.

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

Details

Servings 4

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.

TECHNIQUE

UNDERSTANDING BROILERS

To use a broiler effectively, it’s important to understand how it differs from regular oven cooking. While roasting relies on convective heat (air molecules surround the food), a broiler cooks food primarily with radiant heat, a form of invisible infrared light waves. The broiler element can reach 2,000 degrees. This poses an inherent challenge in all broiling, and the way most broilers operate doesn’t make it any easier.


WAVES MUST HIT THE FOOD
The waves should directly hit the food. The food should be just far enough away from the element that the heat is intense but also evenly hitting the food (for more detail, see “The Parchment Test: Finding the Broiler Sweet Spot,” in related content).

PREHEATING IS UNRELIABLE
Most broilers have no ready signal, so you’re left guessing when the broiler is preheated. Those that heat quickly may cycle off during cooking, while slow-to-heat broilers will be too cool and won’t cook the food in the given time.

IF A BROILER CYCLES OFF, BROWNING SUFFERS
If the broiler is on for too long, most ovens will exceed a maximum air temperature and the broiler will temporarily switch off. The food will continue to cook by convection, but without radiant heat browning will slow dramatically.

TECHNIQUE

GETTING A BROILER TO WORK FOR PORK TENDERLOIN

For well-browned, perfectly cooked pork tenderloin, the key is eliminating the variables and catching more heat. Our solution works with every broiler.

HIT THE SWEET SPOT
Rack position terms like “upper-middle” can be interpreted differently from oven to oven. We set the rack 4 to 5 inches from the element for the best results for this recipe.

USE A DEEP DISPOSABLE ALUMINUM ROASTING PAN
This reflects more radiant heat toward the pork, maximizing browning.

PREHEAT THE OVEN

This brings not just the air in the oven but also the broiler element up to 325 degrees, narrowing the jump before the broiler element is fully preheated. Broilers that run hot won’t cycle off, and broilers that run cool will be fully preheated.