Please log in with your oven baked pork tenderloin or email to continue. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. How is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. After completing a year of art studies at the Emily Carr University in Vancouver, she graduated from Columbia College with a BA in History.
Jessica also completed an MA in History from The University of Oregon in 2013. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 680,827 times. If you’re not sure what to make for dinner tonight, pork tenderloin should be your plan.
This lean cut of pork is boneless so it cooks up quickly. It’s also easy to flavor the meat in a number of ways. You can marinate, brine, sear, or season the tenderloins before roasting them. Then, you’ll be rewarded with a tender roast that’s great with your favorite sides. You can use a cast-iron skillet or any skillet that’s safe to put into the oven.
Then, preheat the oven while you prepare the tenderloin. Heating the skillet will help your tenderloin brown when you put it into the pan. Pat the pork tenderloin dry and remove silverskin if it’s visible. Pat every side of the tenderloin dry with a paper towel and look for a thin, silver membrane covering the meat. If you see silverskin, remove it or the meat will be tough. Since pork tenderloins are usually smaller cuts of meat, there may be 2 small tenderloins packaged together. Tip: To remove the silverskin, slide the tip of a paring knife under the thin membrane to loosen it.
Then, use your hands to pull off the membrane. Sprinkle the tenderloin with salt and pepper. Turn the tenderloin a few times so salt and pepper that fell sticks to the meat. If you’re in a rush for time or want to keep the seasonings minimal, you don’t need to season the tenderloin any more than this. Take the pan out of the oven and swirl vegetable oil in the bottom. Put on oven mitts and remove the hot skillet from the preheated oven.
Then, carefully swirl the pan a little so the oil spreads across the skillet. The oil will prevent the tenderloin from sticking to the hot skillet. Put the tenderloin in the skillet and roast it for 20 to 25 minutes. Lay the seasoned tenderloin in the hot skillet and put it onto the middle rack of the oven. You may have to curl or bend the tenderloin so it fits in the skillet. Insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the thickest part of the tenderloin. Rest the pork tenderloin for 10 minutes.
Cover the meat loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes so it finishes cooking. The pork will continue to cook after you take it out of the oven and the juices will redistribute within the meat. The temperature of the meat will rise about 5 degrees as it rests. Carefully lift back the foil and transfer the meat to a cutting board and use a serrated knife to carefully cut the tenderloin into thin slices. Serve the pork tenderloin with roasted vegetables, scalloped potatoes, or a garden salad.