Pork Tenderloin

No, even we can’t live only on pulled pork barbecue. Now that we’ve taken you through the fat trenches with delicious pulled pork aplenty, here’s sensible lean tenderloin that’s quick to brine and broil. Don’t overcook it, or it will taste like sensible shoes. Take the flavor in any direction with your choice of dry rub. The cider-soy brine is essential for keeping the “tender” in the ultralean tenderloin and adds a nice penetrating flavor that’s impossible to get with a quick topical seasoning. Change up the brine to keep things interesting. Any of the brines on pages 77 to 78 will perform the same juicy service.

In the thirteenth century, when the Angevins reanchored their royal seat from Palermo to Napoli, the latter was illuminated, transformed, by the influx of a luxe new citizenry. Royals, nobles, and government bigwigs were followed by a cadre of the epoch’s great artists. Giotto and Petrarch and Boccaccio ensconced themselves in Napoli. And as they are wont to do, the masses, too, followed, hoping to stay warm, a little warmer even, inside the echoes of the city’s great, new noise. And as much as she did flourish then, also did the misery of her increase. In great part, Napoli starved under the reign of the French kings. While obscenely cinematic festivals were being staged inside the lustrous salons, the Napoletani waited outside each evening for the cooks to wallop out over the castle walls to them the viscera of the lords’ sheep and cows and pigs and goats. And from these mean stuffs did the women and men of Napoli invent their suppers. Among the dishes that became tradition during this time was zuppa di soffritto, a high-spiced potion made from the heart, spleen, and lungs of the pig and still prized by the Napoletani. Here follows a version of the good soup that asks for less exotic parts of the pig.

Here’s an interesting technique. We cut (counter to logic) the pork tenderloins into long steaks along the grain of the meat, forming steaks approximately 10 inches long by 2 inches wide. Whip up the jerk paste the night before or that morning, and get the tenderloins marinating early. That way you can grill and eat in minutes after getting jerked around at work all day.

Black-eyed peas are said to bring luck in the new year, but you're going to want to eat this dressed-up version of the Southern classic for more than just luck.

Our charcuterie supplier, Taylor Boetticher of Napa’s Fatted Calf (opposite page), had the fine idea to wrap a pork tenderloin in a cloak of paper-thin pancetta. The pancetta bastes the lean tenderloin as it cooks, so the meat remains moist. A thyme-scented tomato fondue makes a light, summery accompaniment, suggested by 2009 Workshop participant Scott Gottlich. Add some sautéed Blue Lake beans or a slice of Mediterranean Summer Vegetable Gratin (page 158) to complete the plate. You can roast only one tenderloin, if you like, but you may need to reduce the heat as you sear it because of the reduced volume of meat in the skillet. Do prepare the full amount of tomato fondue, however. You won’t have enough volume for the blender otherwise, and you won’t regret having extra. Note that the pork needs to marinate overnight.

Sweet paprika and sour cream share the spotlight with pork in this Hungarian classic. Buttered egg noodles, the traditional accompaniment, soak up the spicy, creamy sauce.

Make the Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples and Leeks on page 205, and then use the extra roasted tenderloin in one of these recipes (page 206)—one with Asian flavors, one with Mexican.

Make the Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples and Leeks on page 205, and then use the extra roasted tenderloin in one of these recipes (page 206)—one with Asian flavors, one with Mexican.

Nothing complements pork like the flavor of apples; here the fruit is sautéed with leeks and honey. This recipe calls for roasting an extra tenderloin; serve one with the apples, and reserve one for use in a recipe on the following page.

BECAUSE FRUIT, VINEGAR, AND MEAT HAVE A NATURAL AFFINITY, this recipe pairs apricot preserves and Dijon mustard to turn an ordinary pork tenderloin into an impressive main course. Served with Three-Grain Risotto (page 65), it makes an easy yet elegant meal.

WHY IT’S LIGHT Many versions of North Carolina pulled pork are made with pork shoulder, but this one uses tenderloin for less fat. Use light or dark brown sugar depending on your taste preference; dark offers a more pronounced molasses flavor. Plenty of light cabbage slaw on top brings the sandwich into balance.

FLAVOR BOOSTER Although the crimson glaze contains only a few ingredients, it tastes surprisingly rich, thanks to molasses and tart pomegranate juice. Here the pork is served with couscous and a salad of Bibb lettuce, celery, and parsley.

FLAVOR BOOSTER Instead of water, the polenta is cooked in a combination of skim milk and low-sodium chicken broth. A dab of butter, stirred in at the end, adds just the right amount of richness.

GOOD TO KNOW Tenderloin is the leanest and most tender cut of pork. To keep it from drying out, cook it only until its internal temperature reaches 140°F; the meat will continue cooking as it rests.

GOOD TO KNOW A stir-fry is an ideal way to cook vegetables: With just a little oil and a short cooking time, the technique helps ensure that vegetables such as broccoli retain their nutrients. Broccoli stalks are as delicious as the florets—use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough skin.

Cassoulet in forty minutes or less is heresy, of course, but even “real” cassoulet was designed as a bean stew containing whatever meat, preferably fatty and flavorful, was available to throw in. That’s the spirit here, too. Although the pork tenderloin need not be browned before further cooking, the sausage benefits from a quick browning, definitely worth the five-minute effort. If you can get duck confit, just brown it lightly on both sides, adding both it and its fat to the stew in place of the duck breast.

Often the most effective marinating happens not before but after cooking. This technique, usually called escabeche, was once used to preserve food. It’s really a form of pickling: hot food was put into hot liquid containing a good deal of vinegar. Treated thus, it would keep for some time (if canned, for a long time). Since we don’t need escabeche for preserving, the postgrilling marinating time can be as little as a few minutes, but it can also be as long as overnight—it doesn’t make much difference; in either case, it produces a highly flavored, prepared-in-advance, room-temperature dish that is good as part of a buffet with a variety of other dishes (none of which should be noticeably acidic). Other cuts of meat you can use here: any cut of chicken, bone in or out (be careful not to overcook), or mackerel or other fish (typically floured and sautéed or fried before marinating).

If you like a really strong garlic flavor, reserve half of the garlic and stir it in at the end of the cooking, along with the optional sesame oil. Serve with rice. Other cuts of meat you can use here: beef, preferably sirloin; lamb, preferably from the shoulder or leg; boneless chicken; shrimp (which will cook more quickly).