Torch versus pork tenderloin

Pork tenderloin is an annoying cut of meat. Very annoying. It is supposed to be simply delicious. Yet it has a tapered shape, so it doesn't cook evenly. If you make it into medallions, they are so very easy to overcook and dry out. You can butterfly it, pound it out, make a roll, and roast. And again chances are it will turn out dry and stringy.

In other words, pork tenderloin is a challenging piece of meat to cook. When you are in a hurry, or when you have a time, making it well requires skill and practice. I admit that I pretty much gave up it. Much embarrassing for someone who pretty much grew up on pork and potatoes.

Every pig has two tenderloins only, so the cut is precious. Years ago, I was very surprised to see the large numbers of tenderloins available in the stores. So I googled "number of pigs slaughtered per year" and learned that the US alone processes more than 120 million pigs. That is one pig per about three people in the US. Or 240 million tenderloins, which means almost one per person in the US. We better learn how to tame that beast of a cut.

A simple sous vide setup

In waltzes the sous vide circulator. The circulator is, in principle, a surprisingly simple device. It consists of a heater and a small propeller that moves the water around. And a thermometer and a fancy logic device that makes the circulator actually work. The goal is to cook the food at a very precise temperature that is much lower than the temperature of your skillet or the temperature of your oven. It also turns out that a few degrees make a big difference in the texture of the meat you are cooking. If you are curious, the Modernist Cuisine web site has a nice article on why sous vide reigns supreme.

When you cook sous vide, the food goes into a plastic pouch. So, I trimmed the tenderloin to remove the tough silver lining from the surface, seasoned it with salt, pepper, the ever more omnipresent Korean chili powder, and I added some ground thyme. For fat, I added a tablespoon or so of coconut oil.

It is best to vacuum-seal the bag. One, the cooking will take place in a water bath, so one better takes measures to prevent the water from invading your food. Second, the closed bag creates a very humid environment. That, in combination with the low temperature of cooking, will lead to an incredibly moist result.

The unappealing tenderloin after a 2h bath at 140F

My sous vide setup is really basic. I used a food-grade bucket to which I attach the circulator. The bucket needs water, of course, and a pouch with the food. I cover the bucket with plastic wrap to keep evaporation under control. My European background makes me cringe when I think of the energy inefficiency of the setup. One day, I dream, I will find an insulated bucket that will be at least as aesthetically pleasing as my plastic bucket. Given that I am an engineer, my aesthetic standards are not quite at the Steve Jobs level, but I still refuse to use a blue cooler that I bought in a sudden energy-guilt attack.

The tenderloin takes 2-3 hours to bathe at 140F. Many people prefer 135F, which is still high enough to eradicate the bacteria. My mom was visiting, and pink pork is not what she is used to, so I went with 140F. The bath renders a perfectly fine tenderloin lacking any appeal. Seriously, I wonder how sous-vide was even discovered, given how critical appearance is for the food. Would you really believe that a wet chunk of meat has a potential to be delicious?

Today we know, that searing the meat is mostly for looks and for the crunchiness of the crust. Searing in the flavors, not so much. And the best searing apparatus is a torch. I love my source of flames. No matter what you do to it, the flame doesn't go out, it is very light, the flame is trivial to regulate, and the fuel is both cheap and easily accessible. Most importantly, the sound of the torch transforms the kitchen into a true cooking adventure.

Torching the tenderloin!!!

I dried the tenderloin with a paper towel to remove as much moisture as I reasonably could. No worries if the meat is not completely dry, the torch will take care of that. The meat goes into a cast-iron pan, which is generally indestructible and help ensure that your kitchen does not end up catching fire. Just be careful that you don't melt away the seasoning on the pan. As long as you point the torch to the food and move it around, all will be good. Use tongs to turn and hold the meat, searing your fingers would make you miss that delicious tenderloin for sure.

You will know when the searing is done. The unappealing slab of meat will yield place to a deliciously looking tenderloin, waiting to be sliced and salivated over.

The torched tenderloin

When you slice the meat it becomes obvious why sous-vide, and why torching. Even the picture below can communicate how juicy the meat is, and how evenly cooked it is. Moreover, look at the very thin rim of overcooked meat around the edge of each slice. This is the result of searing with the torch. If we cooked the tenderloin in a pan, or if we baked it, that rim would extend pretty much to the center of the meat, resulting in unappetizing dryness.