Oven Baked Pork Tenderloin

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lay two long pieces of foil on a baking sheet – these will be used to fold up each tenderloin separately.
  
• Dissolve salt in warm water in a gallon-size freezer bag to prepare the brine. Whisk in apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and ice, then add the pork. Allow the pork to brine for exactly 20 minutes, then remove it from the brine. Rinse the pork and pat it dry thoroughly. Leaving the pork in the brine longer can result in a mealy texture.
• Combine all the Spice Mix ingredients (excluding the "Add Later Herbs") in a small bowl and whisk them together. Gently massage the pork with the spice mix, ensuring it is evenly coated.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully add the pork tenderloins once the oil is hot and starts to smoke. You may need to work in batches to ensure proper searing. Cook each side of the pork until it turns golden, then transfer it to a piece of foil.
• Sprinkle the remaining herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, thyme) evenly over the tops of the pork tenderloins. Gently rub them into the pork. Drizzle one tablespoon of lemon juice over each tenderloin (total of 2 tablespoons) and place three pads of butter on each one. Enclose each tenderloin completely by bringing up the sides of the foil.
• Bake at 400 degrees F until pork registers between 145- and 150 degrees F (63 and 65 degrees C) at the thickest part of the tenderloin, 15-25 minutes, depending on thickness. This will result in juicy pork with a slight pinkness in the center. To verify the temperature, delicately unwrap the foil and reseal it to continue baking.
• Once the pork is cooked, gently loosen the foil to allow steam to escape, and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Season it with salt and pepper to your desired taste. Serve the pork with the delicious butter sauce collected at the bottom of the foil. Enjoy!

The Spice Mix:

• 1 TBS EACH 
• • chili powder
  • garlic powder
• 1 tsp EACH 
• • salt
  • onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Herbs To Add Later:

• 1/2 tsp EACH 
• • dried parsley
  • dried basil
  • dried oregano
  • dried thyme

You'll Love This Pork Recipe

Pork tenderloin is incredibly tender and boasts a remarkable flavour profile. Surprisingly, it is extremely low in fat, comparable to skinless chicken breasts. Additionally, it is a breeze to cook, requiring minimal time and effort, and the leftovers remain moist and delicious. With so many reasons to adore succulent pork tenderloin, it's hard not to fall in love with this delectable protein.

In this delectable recipe, the pork is generously coated with a medley of seasonings and then seared to a glorious golden hue. It is then adorned with fragrant herbs, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a dollop of butter before being lovingly enveloped in foil and baked. The butter works its magic as it cooks, creating a self-basting sauce that infuses the pork with incredible flavour and renders it exquisitely tender. I am beyond excited for you to experience this culinary delight!

The Secret To The Juiciest Pork Tenderloin

This recipe makes the juiciest pork, and you will love it!

The secret? Brining the pork. Similar to brining a turkey, however brining pork is pretty magical. It produces tender, juicy pork every single time because it changes the pork's molecular structure without having to prep and plan ahead with an overnight marinade.

If you’ve never brined any protein before, don’t be intimidated – it takes 20 minutes!  You can’t marinate it longer than that, or the pork will become mealy – so literally 20 minutes!  

To brine pork, you will combine:

• kosher salt
• warm water
• apple cider vinegar
• brown sugar
• ice cubes
• pork

NOTES

Just a quick reminder about brining – Do NOT evenly swap table salt in your brining solution for kosher salt or your pork will be too salty.  You will need half as much table salt as kosher salt. 

Also, rinse your pork thoroughly after brining to remove excess salt.

How does it work?  The salt does two things:

1) Hydrates the cells of the muscle tissues via osmosis (Science!)

2) Allows the cells to hold on to the water while they are cooked by breaking down the proteins so they can no longer contract when cooking. 

This means less water will ooze out and is lost, resulting in juicier pork.

Original recipe by Carlsbad Cravings