What Is The Difference Between Pork Tenderloin And Pork Loin
Pork loin is a large, lean piece of meat cut from the back area. It is commonly sold boneless, but can also be purchased bone in. It is best suited for cooking over a medium heat, or slow roasted in the oven.
Pork tenderloin is a small, thin strip of meat that comes from the backbone area. It is always sold boneless and only weighs 1 to 1 1/2 pounds. Pork tenderloin is the most tender cut of pork. It is best suited for quick cooking using high heat.
Pork tenderloin and pork loin cannot be used interchangeably.
Did You Make This Recipe
Disclosure: This post contains an Amazon affiliate link meaning that if you click on it and buy something I will receive a small commission. This is at no additional charge to you. All opinions are my own.
This post originally appeared in September, 2017 and was revised and republished in July 2018.
Wine Pairings For Your Pork Tenderloin
A recipes sauce or marinade can often be the dominant factor when it comes to pairing wine with the finished dish, and its surely the case with these tasty fruit-juicebased glazes. While most pork tenderloin recipes would have me reaching for a hearty red, the oak and tannins in a big red wine would taste clumsy and dull next to the vibrant fruit and spice flavors here. But there are plenty of other options. Ale is a good all-purpose bet for any of these fruit glazes, provided that the ale is richly flavored. Id go for Red Hook or Anchor Libertyboth are available in supermarkets.
If you want to tailor your drink choices to suit each particular recipe, heres what I would do. With the curry-apple glaze, consider an Alsace Pinot Blanc. The wines apple fruit and the pork glazes sweet-spicy flavors would be delicious together try Marcel Deiss Bennwihr.
With the rosemary-orange glaze, try a slightly chilled Grenache blend with little or no oak. The savory and citrus spices in the glaze will highlight the youthful fruit in Grenache look for dArenberg Stump Jump from Australia and Côtes du Rhône Parallèle 45 from Paul Jaboulet.
And instead of wine with the sweet chili glaze, try a rich Belgian ale. I like Chimay Red and Affligem Tripel.
Tim Gaiser, master sommelier
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How To Grill A Pork Loin
Once prepped and seasoned, this pork loin is a breeze to grill. All you have to do is follow these three steps and youre well on your way to enjoying a perfect pork loin roast.
How Long Do You Smoke Pork Tenderloin Per Pound
This pork tenderloin was smoked on a pellet grill, it can also be done though with a traditional smoker too.
It typically takes about 30-45 minutes per pound. Ive found that the standard pork tenderloin that you find at your local grocery store generally takes about 3 hours to fully cook.
The pork is considered done when it reaches an internal temperature of at least 145*F however, we usually will bring this up to about 155*F to get it nice and tender.
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How Long To Grill A Pork Loin
It takes approximately 1 to 1.5 hours to fully grill a 2-3 pound pork loin. For this recipe, the grill is preheated to 350 degrees F. With the grill running consistently at this temperature, the pork loin is cooked over indirect heat until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.
Always remember to cook to temperature and not to time with meat. Keep an instant read meat thermometer handy and take the temperature periodically throughout the cook. Adjust cook time as needed, and keep in mind that smaller or larger roasts will have different cook times as well.
What Is The Difference Between A Pork Loin And A Pork Tenderloin
Whats the Difference Between Pork Loin and Pork Tenderloin? 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. Pork loin comes from the back of the animal.
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What Temperature Is Medium Rare Pork Tenderloin
For many years, nutritionistsand the USDAhave recommended cooking the meat until it reaches an internal temperature of about 160°F, or medium, which can result in slightly pink meat. But some restaurant chefs across the country are going one step further and cooking pork medium-rare, or to about 145°F.
Tips For Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- Bring the pork to room temp: As with most meats, you want to bring it to room temperature for about 30 minutes before grilling. Otherwise, the outside may char before the insides can evenly cook.
- Pre-season: Generously coat both sides of the pork loin with salt and black pepper, or other preferred seasonings. Or use pre-seasoned pork loin, which is recommended in the section below.
- Preheat the grill: Preheat the gas grill on medium. The grill should be hot before you add meats to prevent sticking and create nice sear marks.
- Grease the grill: Lightly grease with cooking or olive oil just before adding the meat to help prevent sticking.
- Close the lid when grilling: This builds up heat inside and evenly cooks the centers. The outside will still sear.
- Add or reduce cooking time depending on the thickness of the meat.
- Dont overcook: Cook pork just to the desired doneness. Internal temps are listed in the section below.
- Let rest before serving: Let sit at room temp at least 3 minutes to hold in more juices.
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Why Make This Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- So flavorful: looking for a flavorful way to cook pork? This is it. The combination of the dry rub, marinade, and charred grill marks make this pork so flavorful.
- Healthy: is pork tenderloin healthy? The answer is yes! Its high in protein and lower in fat.
- Inexpensive: lucky for you, pork tenderloin is a pretty inexpensive cut of meat.
- High protein: per serving this recipe has 32g of protein.
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What To Serve With Pork Tenderloin
Pork tenderloin is lean and versatile! If you can brave the elements, you can grill pork tenderloin year-round.
Here are a few ideas of what to serve with it:
- Salad. Brussels Sprouts Slaw is a tasty green salad to serve with pork. For a different route, try Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta Salad or Healthy Potato Salad.
- Slaw. Pork and coleslaw are besties. This Healthy Coleslaw is fantastic.
- Creamed Corn. For a true comfort meal, serve your grilled pork tenderloin alongside Crock Pot Creamed Corn.
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How To Smoke Pork Loin On A Pellet Grill
Heres how to smoke pork loin on your pellet grill:
What pellets should I use for pork loin?
For most, the lighter wood flavors will be best for pork pellets like Apple, Cherry, and Fruitwood work wonders. If you like those deep, woody flavors, you can definitely try Hickory, but just know that it can overpower the natural flavors of the pork if youre not careful. If youre thinking of wrapping your pork , it may be a good decision for these deeper wood flavors.
Tips From The Betty Crocker Kitchens
- tip 1 When making pork roast on the grill, remember some pork suppliers inject pork roasts with a salt solution to increase shelf life and make the meat moist and flavorful. Read the package label and decrease the amount of salt in the rub if the meat youre using has been injected.
- tip 2 For grilled pork roast, save some money by buying in bulk! Most club stores sell whole pork loin roasts for much less per pound than youd pay for pre-cut roasts or chops. If you have freezer space, buy a whole loin and cut it into 3-pound roasts, chops or smaller strips for stir-fry. Pat dry, wrap in plastic and place in a labeled freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- tip 3 Not sure how to grill using indirect heat? For two-burner gas grill, heat one burner to medium place pork on unheated side. For one-burner gas grill, place pork on grill over low heat. For charcoal grill, move medium coals to edge of firebox place pork on grill rack over drip pan.
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Make Sure Its Pork Tenderloin Not Pork Loin
Pork tenderloin and pork loin are two different cuts of meat. Pork tenderloin is very lean, long and narrow usually about 1.25 1.75lbs each. Pork loin is shorter, has a larger diameter and is from a different part of the pig, it also requires different cooking times. So for this recipe, make sure the package clearls says pork tenderloin.
Pork Loin Vs Pork Tenderloin
Just to clarify, pork loin and pork tenderloin are not the same things. Pork loin comes from from the pigs back, is considerably larger and not quite as tender as the tenderloin. The tenderloin is the muscle that runs along the backbone. Though they are both lean, their size difference makes them poorly suited to substitute for each other in recipes.
If you mistakenly came here looking for tenderloin recipes, dont fret. Just check out my Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin, BBQ Glazed Pork Tenderloin, or my Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich recipes.
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Here Are Four Simple Steps For Creating A Scrumptious Pork Loin At Home:
1. Prep the meat. Preparing your roast for grilling is quick and easy! Begin by trimming any connective tissue on the pork loin. Next, drizzle the outside of the roast with olive oil and season well on each side with Smokey Mos BBQ Spice Rub. Pat the spices on the ribs so that they stick to the meat. The rub flavors the meat and makes for a thin, crispy crust. The pork loin can be trimmed and rubbed up to 24 hours in advance. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.
2. Fire up the grill. To cook pork loin, we suggest using a grilling technique known as zone cooking. One area of the grill will be turned to high, while the other will be low or unlit. Use the high-heat area for direct cooking use the low-heat area to cook it to the correct internal temperature over indirect heat.
If youre cooking with a charcoal grill, arrange the coals on one side of the grill and leave the other side empty. If youre using a gas grill, heat one side to high or medium-high heat and leave the other side unlit.
3. Cook. Sear the loin for 5 minutes per side over direct heat. Then, move it to indirect heat. Cook the roast for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145°F. The rule of thumb is 20 minutes of cooking time per pound. Aim for a mahogany color on the outside and a rosy pink inside.
Marinate Your Pork Tenderloins
Place the pork tenderloins in the ziplock bag.
Gently squeeze out as much air as you can before sealing the bag. This just helps to seal the juices around the meat.
Give the bag a few light rubs just to make sure the meat is fully coated.
Place the bag in the refrigerator.
*Pro Tip*
Sometimes we just don’t have the hour to spare. You can forgo the marinade, season instead with salt and pepper, and skip to Step 6. I’ve done it in a rush and still loved how my tenderloin turned out. I do prefer the more flavorful marinade route, though. Try both and see which you prefer.
*Optional Step*
You can spend a few minutes rubbing the marinade into the meat by gently massaging the outside of the bag. Some believe in this step wholeheartedly. Do you normally massage your meat? I will massage the marinade in if I can only marinade for an hour. If I can leave the juices to absorb into the meat for a couple hours, I don’t see the need for the extra step.
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Grilled Pork Loin Roast
This recipe for grilled pork loin roast is a keeper. Not only does this recipe use my Award Winning Chicken Seasoning, but the added flavor from the grill can be considered an added flavor by itself. The chicken seasoning is an amazing blend of garlic, onion, rosemary, and thyme to give the pork a very traditional roast flavor.
My Chicken Seasoning is available for purchase from Patio Provisions, but if you dont have any on hand, you can also make your own Lemon Herb Chicken Seasoning from my recipe on this site. It also combines garlic, onion, and a handful of dried herbs to give your pork lots of good flavor. Dont be fooled by the name, this chicken seasoning tastes great on pork too!
It wont take long to prep your roast for grilling. In fact, you only need to dedicate a few minutes to getting it ready to go on the grill. Begin by trimming any excess silverskin on the pork loin. Next, drizzle the outside of the roast with olive oil and season well with the Chicken Seasoning.
How Long To Cook Pork Tenderloin On Grill
Grill, covered, over direct heat for 2-3 minutes on all sides to char the meats exterior. Then move the tenderloins over indirect medium heat for 20-30 minutes. Turn the meat occasionally and bast with the reserved marinade. Continue to cook until the internal temperature of the meat reads 145°F.
Place the pork tenderloin directly on the preheated grill grate and cover. Sear the tenderloin on all sides for 2 to 3 minutes each, or until it is browned on the outside. Remove the tenderloin from the hottest part of the grill and allow it to cook with the grill covered for 20 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature registers 145 F.
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Meat Fire Flavor Do We Have Your Attention Were Talking All About The Art Of Grilling Perfectly Juicy Pork Tenderloin
Fire up your grills and grab a beerbecause its time to grill up some juicy pork tenderloin. Wait. You say youve never grilled pork tenderloin before? Well, youre in for a treat! Not only is this pork tenderloin ultra-tender, but its also full of flavor thanks to an Asian-infused sweet and spicy marinade. Intrigued? Drooling? Us too.
Keep reading to learn how to grill pork tenderloin step-by-step.
Grilled Mexican Pork Medallions
These are as good as they sound. Tasty pork tenderloin spiced to your taste. Just use this rub to give them some great Mexican flavor and serve with beans and rice.
Mexican seasoning: 2 teaspoon chili powder, 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon oregano, 2 teaspoon cumin, and ½ teaspoon salt. Add a touch of cayenne if you want a little heat.
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What Temperature Pork Should Be Cooked To Eat Safely
For years, cooks have been told to cook pork until well done, resulting in a dried out piece of meat nobody wants to eat. No more!
According to recent changes in the USDA guidelines, it is safe to eat pork cooked medium rare. Cook the pork chops to an internal temperature of 140°F and still barely pink inside, then rest for about 5 minutes for the residual heat will continue to cook and raise the internal temperature.
For thin cut, bone-in pork chops about 1/4 inch thick, cook over direct medium-high to high heat for a total of 3-5 minutes, with the lid closed, turning once.
For 1-inch thick boneless pork chops, cook for 8-12 minutes over direct heat turning every 3-4 minutes or until well grill marked with the lid closed. Add another 5 minutes resting time for the juices to set in the meat.
If cooked properly, the pork chops will release a bit of juice as they rest, a sign theyre still nice and juicy on the inside.
