Note: This post is sponsored by the Ohio Pork Council. Check out their website for more recipes and information about pork.
This is one of my favorite sous vide pork tenderloin recipes, and I pair perfectly cooked, juicy pork tenderloin with sweet and spicy glazed apples with a side of corn salsa and some fresh herbs. I love to serve it to my friends and family when I want something that looks really upscale, but I don't want to spend all day in the kitchen but still want to deliver great flavor.
It comes together very quickly, with the sous vide machine doing most of the work. Plus I can cook the apples ahead of time, leaving only the pork and salsa for the day of the gathering.
I prefer to use my sous vide machine for the sous vide apples as well, but if you want to cook them in a more traditional method you can toss them with the ingredients and bake them on a sheet pan with raised edges in a 400°F oven for 20 to 40 minutes, until they have softened.
And if you aren't a huge pork tenderloin fan, brace yourself, because the sous vide process is hands down the best way to cook one! It turns out the most flavorful pork you can make!
Why Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin?
I'm very excited to be working with the Ohio Pork Council because pork is one of my favorite things to cook and to eat!
It's also one of my favorite things to sous vide, and for years I've told people that one of the first things to sous vide when they get a sous vide circulator is a pork tenderloin because it is so much juicier than with traditional methods.
Juicier Pork Tenderloin with Sous Vide
When using traditional methods, you need to cook your pork to 145°F or above to make it safe, or 160°F for ground pork. Some places even suggest 160°F or more for any types of pork.
With sous vide, you can hold the pork tenderloin at a lower temperature, like 135°F or 140°F, for a long enough time to fully pasteurize it with sous vide. This lower temperature results in much, much juicier pork. It's basically the difference between a medium steak and a well-done pot roast, they are hardly the same meal!
Don't worry, if you prefer your pork with a more traditional coloring and texture, it's easy to sous vide it at a higher temperature like 150°F and it'll still turn out jucier than normal!
Pork Tenderloin is Flavorful and Full of Protein
Pork is also just one of my favorite things to eat, period! Even though it's really lean like chicken, I find it has a lot more flavor and is more forgiving to cook.
It's also a great source of protein. I learned from the Ohio Pork Council that every 3 ounces has more than 20 grams of protein in it. That makes it perfect post-workout meal. I just toss some pre-cooked pork in with some broccoli and carrots with a splash of olive oil and little bit of lemon juice and I have a great post-workout meal!
Sous Vide Makes Perfect Pork, Every Time!
With the sous vide method, it makes the cooking process turn out perfect every time.
Once you find the perfect temperature for you, you can hit the exact temperature in future cooks with no stress!
I love 140°F, the Ohio Pork Board recommends 145°F, and some people go as low as 135°F. But whatever you prefer, you can achieve it every single time.
Sous Vide Pork Can be Safely Held for Several Hours
Also, because of the temperature precision of the water bath, you have a lot more leeway in the cooking time before it affects your food.
The tenderloin might usually have a 2 to 3 hour cook time, but it would be fine in the sous vide machine for another few hours with no negative affect on the meat! This makes it perfect for me and my busy schedule, because I never know exactly when dinner is going to be!
It's also been great working with the Ohio Pork Council. I learned that there are more than 3500 family farms in Ohio who raise enough pork to feed about 25 million people. So when you buy pork at the grocery store or the farmers market, you are supporting Ohio farm families that produce that pork. Which just blows my mind.
Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin with Spiced Apples Recipe
Published: November 28, 2021
By Jason Logsdon
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 Hours
Cooks: 140°F (60.0ºC) for 2 to 3 hours
Serves: 4
Ingredients for Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin with Spiced Apples Recipe
For the Pork Tenderloin
1 to 2 pounds Pork Tenderloin (I usually use an entire pork tenderloin)
1 to 2 teaspoons salt (I use kosher salt)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
For the Spiced Sous Vide Apples
4 Braeburn or other baking apple, cored and cut into thick slices
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder
For the Corn Salsa
1 cup corn kernels, cooked
3 tomatoes, diced
5 radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup black beans, either canned or cooked
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
4 cloves garlic, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
To Assemble
Maple syrup
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint leaves
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Cooking Instructions for Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin with Spiced Apples Recipe
For the Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin
Preheat a sous vide water bath to 140°F (60.0ºC) or your desired temperature.
Trim off any fat or silver skin. Salt the meat then sprinkle with the garlic powder.
Place the pork in a sous vide bag and seal it. You can use a silicon bag, Ziploc Brand Freezer Bag (using the water displacement method for the Ziploc bag), or a heat safe vacuum bag or zip top bag.
Place the sous vide bag in the hot water bath and sous vide until pasteurized, which is usually 2 to 3 hours for a normally sized pork tenderloin.
Toss the apples and other ingredients together then place in a sous vide bag, trying to keep the thickness of the bag less than 1" (25mm) for even cooking. I prefer a vacuum sealer bag because it stays under water better.
Seal the bag and place it in the sous vide bath. Cook for 60 to 120 minutes until tender.
For the Corn Salsa
To make the salsa combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
To Assemble
Take the sous vide bag out of the water and remove the cooked apples and place in a bowl. Pour the juices from the bag into a pot and bring to a simmer. Cook until it has thickened slightly. Remove it from the heat and add the apples.
Remove the pork tenderloin sous vide bag from the water bath. Take out the pork tenderloin and dry it off well. You can use paper towels or dish cloths, both work well.
Sear the pork tenderloin quickly to add a flavorful crust. Either a heavy, cast iron pan over high heat, a grill turned to high, or a sous vide blow torch all work well. You only want to sear it in the hot pan with a little oil for 30 to 45 seconds before turning it so it doesn't raise the internal temperature and overcook it.
You can either serve the tenderloin family style, or you can cut it into thick slices.
Place the pork tenderloin on a plate, add the apples on one side and the corn salsa on another. Drizzle the apples with the maple syrup then sprinkle with the mint leaves and add some fresh ground black pepper and some sea salt then serve.
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