Brined and Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

Step 1

Brine the pork. Dissolve the salt in the water. You can do this in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Set aside to cool completely on the countertop, refrigerator, or freezer (if you keep an eye on it and not let it freeze.). Do not use the brine while it is still hot or even warm. The brine can be made a week in advance. (*Do not be tempted to add ice cubes to the brine to cool it down faster; it will water-down your brine.)

Step 2

Remove the silverskin from the tenderloin and discard.

Step 3

Add the brine and tenderloin to the zip-top bag. Place the bag in a medium bowl just in case of leaks.

Step 4

Refrigerate for 4 to 12 hours.

Step 5

After brining, remove the tenderloin from the bag and pull off any peppercorns or bay leaf that may be stuck. Discard the brine.

Step 6

Let the tenderloin sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, to knock the chill off.

Step 7

Rub and cook the pork: Combine all the rub ingredients in a small bowl, breaking up any lumps.

Step 8

Pat the tenderloin dry with paper towels. Rub the pork tenderloin all over, continuing to rub the mixture into the meat, massaging all over continuously until all the rub mixture is used up. Let the rubbed pork sit for 10 to 20 minutes

Step 9

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees while the pork sits.

Step 10

Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the tenderloin and sear on all sides. This may take about 8 to 10 minutes. Add more oil as needed.

Step 11

If you have seared the pork using an oven-safe skillet, you can transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. If you did not use an oven-safe skillet, transfer the pork tenderloin to an oven-safe dish, or rimmed baking sheet.

Step 12

Bake until the tenderloin is 143 degrees in the thickest part, approximately 20 minutes. A probe thermometer is helpful here. The temperature will increase to 145 after being removed from the oven. Check the thermometer to make sure of the increase. If for some reason the temp does not reach at least 145 degrees, place back into the oven until the targeted temp is reached.

Step 13

Remove from the oven and place the tenderloin on a cutting board for at least 10 minutes, up to 30 minutes.

Step 14

Slice and serve.