Pork Tenderloin: How to cook it?

[Mylegsbig]

I bought a 1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin marinated in a thai style lemon grass seasoning

How should i cook it? The guy said cook it in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes a pound.

is this right? How long should i cook this 1 1/2 lb tenderloin?


What type of baking dish should i use?

I have metal shallow pans and i have a glass 13x9 casserole type dish.

Also, should i wrap it in foil? Will the fat on it cook off? It's a good cut from a great store here but ive never cooked it so i dont know.

[Food Happens]

sear it as hot as you can without burning it then cook it in a 200 degree oven till the interior temp is 170 degrees.


i would sear it in a metal handled saute pan so you can throw it right in the oven


-----food just happened!!!

[Mylegsbig]

Originally Posted by Food Happens

sear it as hot as you can without burning it then cook it in a 200 degree oven till the interior temp is 170 degrees.


i would sear it in a metal handled saute pan so you can throw it right in the oven


-----food just happened!!!

Hello friend, i dont know if it should be seared its marinated in fresh herbs and liquid and i dont know what will burn.

Also, i have no meat thermometer.

How about if i just throw it in the oven and bake it? Like i said, 1 1/2 pounds.

thanks

[kleenex]

Just throw it in a pan with some water, it does not need to be covered. If you like it you can sprinkle some garlic powder on the pork.

At 350 degrees you will need to cook it around 30 minutes a pound.

Pork nowadays since it is soooo lean can be eaten a little pinkish.

You really need a meat thermometer, the cheapo ones cost like 3 bucks. 20 bucks can get you a digital one with a few nice features on it.

[Mylegsbig]

So i should bake it for 45 minutes if it's 1 1/2 lbs?

[mrsdove]

I know you are talking about cooking in the oven but my absolute favorite way to have pork tenderloin (especially if it is marinated) is to throw it in the crockpot overnight. You put it in on low at about 10pm and then by lunch the next day you have some mouthwatering pork that you can serve just about anyway you want.

One of my favorites is as a sandwich - using onion buns!

[HanArt]

I'd raise the heat to 400° and cook it for 30 minutes.

I second the suggestion to buy a thermometer.

[ironchef]

Originally Posted by Food Happens

sear it as hot as you can without burning it then cook it in a 200 degree oven till the interior temp is 170 degrees.


i would sear it in a metal handled saute pan so you can throw it right in the oven


-----food just happened!!!

200 degrees? Hope you don't mind waiting a LONG time for your food.

Pork is finished cooking at 150-155 degrees. If you take it out at 170, you'll end up with cardboard.

[Mylegsbig]

im going to get a meat thermometer next trip out.

Okay guys, 30 minutes @ 400 degrees.

ill let you know how it turns out

[Constance]

Are you going to do it uncovered? I'm very interested to hear how this turns out.

[Mylegsbig]

Hmmm alot of conflicting points of view

are you saying i should wrap it in foil?

i heard you didnt have to cover it

[Andy M.]

...and here's my opinion:

Pork tenderloin is a very lean piece of meat. A little fat on the outside and no marbling inside. As a result, it will be very dry if overcooked.

Lean meats should be cooked hot and fast. I would dry off the exterior abd sear it like a steak and finish it in the oven at 400F.

If you're going to get a thermometer, don't worry about how long to cook it. Cook it to an internal temperature of 150F, uncovered. Let it rest under foil for 10 minutes before carving.

[kitchenelf]

I'm definately with the cooking hot and fast group. Pork will dry out and be tough if cooked too long. I usually sear mine all the way around and pop it into a 490° oven for about 20 minutes. Let it rest for another 10 minutes before cutting.

No matter how you cook it be sure and let it rest!

[auntdot]

I have to agree with IronChef. 170 degrees is definitely overdone in my opinion.

When I was a kid everyone overcooked pork, fear of trichinosis. Now if one is eating commercially raised pork that is not an issue. But even back then, people would overcook pork just to be safe.

Trichinella is killed at 140 degrees.

But everyone ups the ante because it is safe to do so.

What I do is take out the pork at about 145-150 and let it rest.

Y'all can do what you think is best.

Happy Independence Day.

[kleenex]

With pork today you can even eat it at 145 degrees.

[Mylegsbig]

I am about to cook this tenderloin right now and i still do not have a meat thermometer. can someone please give me just an estimate of how long to cook the tenderloin which weighs 1 1/2 lbs in a 400degree oven.

[Mylegsbig]

Someone said 30 minutes, im going to do it for 30 minutes

[Mylegsbig]

kk i did it @ 400 for 30 minutes it came out really good pink in the middle delicious texture and flavor thanks

[ironchef]

Next time you do it, try pan searing it on high on all four sides to get a nice golden brown crust, and then roast it in the oven in the same pan, just as KElf suggested. If you don't buy the pre-marinated meat (or even if you do), you can then deglaze the pan on the stove while the pork is resting to make a nice sauce. Before you add the meat into the oven, add one diced onion, 1 diced carrot, 1 diced celery stalk, and 3 cloves of crushed garlic to the pan to roast with the pork. This mire poix will then roast, and can be used as the aromatics for your pan sauce when you deglaze.

[HanArt]

You did good! Now buy yourself a meat thermometer.