Asian Pork Tenderloin Recipe (Slow Cooker) from The Food Charlatan. (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to cook pork tenderloin fast or slow? ›

The size and structure of a tenderloin make it perfect for cooking quickly on high heat. You want to be able to brown the outside while still keeping it a little pink on the inside.

Your liquid should not cover your pork in the slow cooker: it should only come up about a quarter of the way up the sides. The pork will make more liquid as it cooks, and you need to leave room for that. And 10 hours later, this huge hunk of meat is tender and ready.

It is best to cook this lean cut of meat on low and slow rather than on high. The high setting can cook it too fast and tends to boil it. Pork loin roast can be overcooked and will become dried out, even in the crock pot.

One of the main factors contributing to a dry pork roast is overcooking, which causes the muscle fibers to contract and release their natural juices — even if it's cooked just a couple of minutes too long.

At around 2 hours, your pork chops will be cooked through (145°F) and have a texture similar to chicken breast — tender, but firm. Between 3 to 6 hours, the chops will have a texture closer to pulled pork; it will be easy to cut with a fork and will pull easily from the bone.

Once the pork loin roast reaches 145°F on an instant-read thermometer, remove it from the oven, and let it rest on a cutting board for 20 minutes. This gives the meat time to reabsorb all its juices. You can also brine the pork before you cook it, which ensures the meat stays tender, juicy, and well-seasoned.

To keep a pot roast from drying out, your slow cooker needs liquid to create a moist environment, and that can include meat or vegetable stock, wine or water. This doesn't mean the meat should be submerged; a cup or two of liquid will be enough, since the cooker is covered and liquids stay trapped inside.

Preparing the pork

I prefer to season the meat before adding it to the slow cooker with my favourite spices, along with salt and pepper. I also recommend browning the meat slightly prior to slow cooking which will help maximise the flavour. However, this is a step that can be left out if you don't have enough time.

Close the Proofer and allow the pork to cook for a total of 10 or 11 hours. Midway during the slow cook process you can turn the pork over once. After 10 hours check the interior of the pork with a thermometer. We recommend a temperature of 195-200 °F / 90-93 °C for tender, juicy pork which pulls apart easily.

One way to determine your porks' doneness is by the color of the juices that come out of it when you poke a hole in it with a knife or fork. If the juices run clear or are very faintly pink, the pork is done cooking. If they're mostly or entirely pink or red, it's best to continue cooking.

How to tell when slow cooker pulled pork is done? ›

If you're cooking a smaller pork shoulder that's 3 pounds, you should check the temperature earlier than you would for a 5 pound shoulder. The pork is done when it reaches at least 200F and shreds easily with a fork. Try not to go over 205F.

The names may be almost the same, but pork loin and pork tenderloin are different cuts of meat. A pork tenderloin is a long, narrow, boneless cut of meat that comes from the muscle that runs along the backbone. A pork loin is wider and flatter, and can be a boneless or bone-in cut of meat.

The pork goes from chewy to melt in the mouth and it just takes one simple ingredient that you've probably got in your pantry: bi-carb. You sprinkle 1 teaspoon of bicarb on the meat and mix it with water and then wait for the bicarb to tenderise the meat and then rinse it off! That's it!

Are there any other good ideas for what I should do with about 3 pounds of dry, overcooked pork? Editor: Allison, overall, my suggestion would be to dice or shred it extra-fine and use it in places where its texture will be less of a problem: Breakfast burritos, cheesy pasta casserole, omelets, and soups.

Brush the pork tenderloin with additional marinade, then bake in a preheated oven at 425°F for about 15-20 minutes, until the pork reaches a temperature of 145°F, then remove it from the oven. Cooking the pork tenderloin at the high temperature of 425 degrees F helps it cook quickly and prevents it from drying out.

If it hasn't reached that internal temperature of 145 degrees F, Robinson says you should transfer it to an 300 degree F oven until it's finished. That low heat will guarantee it doesn't dry out in a matter of seconds, like it might on a high heat.

Tips & Tricks. First, you will want to preheat your oven to 400° F. You will end up lowering the heat later on but it is important to start at a high temp to trap the moisture inside the pork loin.

Pre-heat oven to 325F (165C). Bake pork tenderloin in the oven UNCOVERED for approximately 20-25 MINUTES *PER POUND* (44-55 MINUTES PER KILOGRAM) Or until internal temperature reaches 155F (68C), rested to a final 160F (71C).