Chef Johns Pork Tenderloin Recipes

SWEET AND SOUR PORK TENDERLOIN

Steps:

• Cut tenderloin into 4 pieces. Arrange in a single layer between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until each is about 1-inch thick. Generously season with salt and black pepper.
• Whisk ketchup, rice vinegar, reserved pineapple juice, brown sugar, garlic, hot chili sauce, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Set aside.
• Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over high heat. Place pork in pan; reduce heat to medium. Cook until browned on both sides and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
• Return skillet to medium heat. Stir butter into hot pan. When butter melts and starts to brown, stir in pineapple chunks. Cook, stirring, until pineapple is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Stir in ketchup mixture and 1/4 cup green onion (white parts). Reduce heat to low and simmer until garlic and onion have softened, 5 minutes.
• Return pork to skillet; cook, stirring, until pork is heated through. Garnish with 2 tablespoons green onion tops.

CHEF JOHN'S IRISH PORK STEW

Steps:

• Season pork cubes with salt and black pepper.
• Heat vegetable oil in a pot over high heat. Working in batches, cook and stir pork in hot oil until browned on all sides, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer pork to a bowl and reduce heat to medium.
• Melt butter in the pot. Cook and stir onion with a pinch of salt in hot butter until onion is softened and translucent, 7 to 10 minutes. Add garlic; saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Stir flour into onion mixture; cook and stir until flour is completely incorporated, about 2 minutes. Add bay leaf and caraway seed; cook for 2 minutes more. Pour beer into onion mixture. Cook and stir until thickened, 1 to 3 minutes.
• Stir pork, chicken broth, carrots, and celery into beer mixture; bring to simmer. Stir 1/4 cup parsley and balsamic vinegar into stew, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until pork is fork-tender, about 2 hours.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook uncovered until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.
• Stir Brussels sprouts into stew and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide mashed potatoes between 6 bowls. Ladle stew over potatoes and top each with a pinch of parsley.

CHEF JOHN'S GRILLED JERK PORK TENDERLOIN

Steps:

• Cut the tenderloin in half and set the thinner end to the side. Cut the thicker end in half lengthwise. You should have 3 mostly equal pieces.
• Combine onion, thyme, vinegar, garlic, habanero peppers, ginger, soy sauce, vegetable oil, brown sugar, allspice, black pepper, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a blender. Puree until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.
• Pour Jerk marinade into a resealable plastic bag. Add pork tenderloin pieces, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
• Grill pork, moving if necessary to avoid overcooking the thin parts of the meat, until dark grill marks appear and they lift easily from the grill, 6 to 7 minutes each side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

MOROCCAN-SPICED PORK ROAST

Steps:

• Butterfly the pork loin by cutting almost all the way through, starting on the thinnest side, keeping your knife flat and parallel to the cutting board. Stop about 1 inch from the opposite edge you started, so that the meat opens up like a book. A few more shallow cuts can be made if the pork is not opening up enough to flatten out, but do not cut all the way through, otherwise you'll end up with two pieces.
• Season the butterflied pork on both sides with kosher salt and let sit out at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes, or 2 to 3 hours in the fridge.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a roasting pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Pat the tenderloin dry with a paper towel.
• Mix cumin, coriander, ginger, black pepper, smoked paprika,cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and honey together in a bowl with a spoon. Spread about half of the spice mixture inside the butterflied pork, fold it back together, and spread the remaining mixture all over the surface. Use 3 or 4 pieces of kitchen string to tie the loin up every few inches, cutting off extra string.
• Toss potatoes, carrots, chile peppers, and onion with olive oil and salt in a bowl.
• Place the pork into the prepared roasting pan and surround with vegetable mixture.
• Roast in the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the loin reads at least 140 to 145 degrees F (60 to 63 degrees C), about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn roast over with tongs in pan drippings. Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Toss vegetable mixture in pan drippings and return to the oven to crisp up, about 10 minutes.
• Combine yogurt, mint, and garlic in a small bowl for sauce.
• Remove strings on roast. Slice, spoon pan drippings over, and serve with vegetables and yogurt sauce.

PORK SALTIMBOCCA

Steps:

• Remove silvery membrane from surface of the tenderloin with a sharp knife. Reserve the trimmings. Trim off the small "head" pieces of the tenderloin where there is a natural separation; this is optional. Reserve.
• Cut tenderloin in half crosswise to make 2 equal portions. Cut each half lengthwise in half to make 4 pieces. Transfer to a bowl; refrigerate while you start the sauce.
• Chop the reserved trimmings very fine. Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat until caramelized and nicely browned, 4 or 5 minutes. Stir in broth and gelatin. Stir in water. Cook and stir over medium or medium-low heat at a low simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 1 1/2 hours. Add more water if it reduces too quickly.
• Place pork sections between to pieces of plastic wrap. Pound to a thickness of about 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Turn each piece over. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Dust very lightly with about 2 teaspoons flour. Flip back over; sprinkle with black pepper only. Press 3 sage leaves onto surface of each piece of pork. Cover completely with prosciutto, cutting or tearing strips to fit. A bit of overlap is okay.
• Place sheet of plastic wrap back over the pork and pound very lightly to make sure the prosciutto sticks to the pork. Transfer to a plate; cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes.
• Strain pork broth into a bowl.
• Place skillet over high heat; add olive oil. When olive oil is hot and shimmering, place pork pieces in the oil prosciutto side down. Cook about 3 minutes. Carefully turn pieces and cook another minute. Remove skillet from heat. Transfer pork to warm serving plates.
• Blot excess oil from skillet with paper towels. Add wine and pork broth. Cook over high heat until mixture thickens and reduces by about half, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Spoon hot sauce over pork sections.

CHEF JOHN'S YUCATAN-STYLE GRILLED PORK

Steps:

• Place orange juice, lemon juice, and lime juice in a bowl. Add garlic, kosher salt, annatto powder, chipotle powder, ground cumin, cayenne, oregano, and black pepper. Whisk until well blended.
• Cut the tenderloins in half crosswise; cut each piece in half lengthwise. Place pieces in marinade and thoroughly coat with the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap with the wrap touching the surface of the meat and marinade. (Or transfer mixture to a resealable plastic bag.) Refrigerate 4 to 6 hours.
• Transfer pieces of pork from marinade to a paper-towel-lined bowl to absorb most of the moisture. Discard paper towels. Drizzle vegetable oil and a bit more annatto powder on the pork.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Place pieces evenly spaced on a hot grill. Allow meat to sear onto the grate until pieces can be easily turned, 4 or 5 minutes. Turn and grill on the other side another 4 or 5 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 135 to 140 degrees F (63 degrees C). Transfer onto a serving platter and allow meat to rest about 5 minutes before serving.

PORK TENDERLOIN DIABLO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Season pork with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in an ovenproof skillet over high heat. Cook pork until browned on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn over pork and transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Cook until pork is browned and still slightly pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Transfer pork to a plate.
• Remove any excess oil from the skillet and place it over medium-high heat. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil, scraping any browned bits off of the bottom of the pan. Whisk in cream, horseradish, Dijon mustard, and cayenne pepper. Continue cooking until the mixture is reduced to a thick sauce, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in cold butter. Stir in chives.
• Slice pork into 1/2-inch slices and serve topped with sauce.

CHEF JOHN'S BABY PORCHETTA

Steps:

• Crush fennel seeds in mortar with a pestle for 1 minute. Add garlic, sage, pepper, rosemary, salt, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest; pound into a thick paste, 2 or 3 minutes. Add olive oil and pound until rub is evenly incorporated.
• Cut a slit 3/4 of the way through the center of the tenderloin, leaving 1 inch on each end uncut. Spread 1 tablespoon of the rub inside the slit; close up roast. Spread the remaining rub evenly over the roast. Wrap bacon strips around the roast, trying to keep seams on the bottom.
• Wrap roast in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; place roast in the center.
• Roast in the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 134 degrees F (57 degrees C), about 25 minutes. Let roast rest for 10 minutes and internal temperature rise to 140 to 145 degrees F (60 to 63 degrees C).

STUFFED AND ROLLED PORK TENDERLOIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Remove the flap of meat at the wider end of the tenderloin and trim the last two inches off of the narrow end of the tenderloin; chop trimmings and reserve.
• Cut from one side of the tenderloin through the middle horizontally to within one-half inch of the other side. Open the two sides and spread them out like an open book. Cut a few shallow slashes in the meat. Cover the meat with plastic wrap and pound to about 1/2-inch thick. Roll up pounded tenderloin, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate to keep cold.
• Mix chopped pork trimmings, parsley, bread crumbs, currants, garlic, rosemary, egg, olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl with a fork until stuffing is well-combined.
• Unroll tenderloin on work surface. Spread stuffing over tenderloin, leaving a 2-inch border on one of the long-sides. Roll up tenderloin, ending at the 2-inch border; tie meat with twine to secure shape. Season tenderloin all over with salt and black pepper.
• Heat an oven-safe skillet over high heat until hot. Cook tenderloin in hot skillet until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
• Cook in the preheated oven until pork is slightly pink in the center, about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Transfer to a plate and let rest for 15 minutes before removing twine and slicing.

CRISPY PORK CUTLETS

Steps:

• Place pork between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound pork with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/2 inch.
• Place pork pieces on a plate and season both sides generously with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over pork pieces, lightly coating both sides. Pour eggs over pork, turning to coat.
• Transfer pork pieces to a bowl filled with panko bread crumbs. Press bread crumbs firmly into the meat on both sides. Transfer breaded cutlets to a clean plate, cover with plastic and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in pickles, jalapeno pepper, and green onions; cook and stir until onions have softened, about 3 minutes.
• Sprinkle in 1 1/2 tablespoon flour. Cook and stir for 3 minutes.
• Slowly stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons cold milk, whisking constantly. Stir in remaining milk, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper. Simmer on low for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Heat half the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 breaded pork cutlets and cook until pork is not longer pink inside, and the crust is well-browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining vegetable oil and pork cutlets.