How to cook pork tenderloin for easy weeknight dinners

Pork tenderloin is an underrated weeknight warrior.

It is as lean as boneless, skinless chicken breasts and fairly affordable, too, especially when you consider how versatile and delicious it can be. And pork tenderloin’s prized traits don’t stop there.

“I love that it is quick cooking, tender – it’s in the name! – and a blank canvas to permeate with any flavors I am craving,” said Alyse Whitney, a food writer and author of the cookbook “Big Dip Energy.”

It’s commonly referred to as the filet mignon of pork, which makes sense when you realize the steak cut is simply portions of beef tenderloin. (The tenderloin is the muscle that runs along the backbone of each animal.) Pork tenderloin is a long, slender cut of meat that is not to be confused with pork loin, which is shorter and thicker. Because the two shapes cook at different rates, they should not be used interchangeably.

About 1 pound each, a single tenderloin will typically serve three to four people, give or take given the appetites of your diners and what else is served at the meal. Some tenderloins will still have the silver skin – a grayish, shiny, tough connective tissue on the outside of the tenderloin – attached, which can lead to an unpleasant eating experience. It can easily be removed with a sharp knife, though Whitney prefers to use kitchen shears, which she calls her “secret weapon for battling silver skin.”

Given its leanness, “The toughest part of cooking pork tenderloin is … well, not making it tough,” Whitney said. As with all meat, the best way to determine doneness is with an instant-read thermometer. The USDA recommends removing the protein from the heat source at 145 degrees and allowing it to rest for at least three minutes. Though pork tenderloin might be larger than what the average home cook prepares on a weeknight, its slenderness still enables it to cook quickly and requires a watchful eye to keep it from overcooking.

My favorite aspect of pork tenderloin – and pork in general – is its ability to serves as a blank canvas. “Pork can take on any flavor profile beautifully, and one of my go-to’s is making something Vietnamese-inspired with the elements of nuoc cham: fish sauce, chiles, lime juice, and a little sugar or honey,” Whitney said. Rub it with a pernil-style adobo, or marinade, for a fast alternative to the Puerto Rican-style slow-roasted pork shoulder. In his latest cookbook, chef and television host Bobby Flay coats it in an ancho chile spice rub and then tosses it with a pomegranate sauce to serve as the filling for tacos.

One route for cooking a whole tenderloin is to briefly sear it in a hot skillet on the stove before finishing it in the oven. Or it can be cooked on the stovetop, over medium heat. You could also roast it entirely in the oven, throw it on the grill or pop it in an air fryer.

If you’re intimidated by cooking larger pieces of meat, cut the tenderloin into thinner slices for sandwiches or katsu, thicker slices to treat like its steak equivalent, or smaller pieces for stir-fries. You can also give it the chicken breast treatment by whacking chunks into thin cutlets, such as in Pan-Seared Pork Tenderloin With Tarragon.

Leftovers are great, too. Whitney recommends eating these cold atop a salad, in a sandwich, tucked into Vietnamese-style summer rolls or rolled into Korean-style gimbap (also known as kimbap).

Don’t sleep on this underrated protein, Whitney said: “It’s a weeknight workhorse and I always have one in the freezer for throwing together a meal on the fly.” Perhaps you should do the same.

Pan-Seared Pork Tenderloin With Tarragon

Adapted from “The New Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook: 150 Fresh Ideas for America’s Favorite Pan,” by Ellen Brown (Sterling Epicure, 2014).

This tarragon-scented pork tenderloin makes a surprisingly elegant option for a weeknight meal. You might want to stash it in your cook-for-unexpected-company file. Pork tenderloin cooks fairly fast, and even faster when you whack it into thin cutlets.

Serve with steamed broccolini and/or roasted potatoes.

One (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed of any visible fat and quartered

Fine salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 large shallot, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated

¾ cup no-salt-added chicken broth

¼ cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

4 stems fresh tarragon, leaves picked and finely chopped, plus more for garnish

Place each piece of meat between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to a thickness of ¼-inch. Pat each piece with towels, then season lightly on both sides with salt and pepper.

In a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter, tilting the pan to coat it evenly. Add two of the pork cutlets and cook until browned and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Repeat with another 1 tablespoon of the butter and the remaining cutlets, transferring them to a plate once they’re done.

Add the shallot and garlic to the skillet and cook, about 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the broth, wine, lemon juice and sugar and stir to combine. Increase the heat to high, stir to dislodge any browned bits on the bottom of the pan and cook until the liquid has reduced by one-third, three to four minutes.

Add any meat juices that have accumulated on the plate of cutlets. Whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon of the butter and the tarragon leaves and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about one minute. Remove from the heat and pour the sauce over the cutlets. Garnish with more tarragon and serve right away.

Substitutions: Shallot for onion. Wine for ¼ cup chicken broth or 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar. Tarragon for thyme, parsley or basil.

Total time: 40 minutes

Yield: Four servings

Storage: Refrigerate for up to four days.