There is a lot of confusion around Pork Loin and Pork Tenderloin I can attempt to make some sense out of it for you. It’s pretty straight forward really. Visually you can clearly tell the difference. There are some similarities though. Both are very lean and tend to dry out when overcooked.
The smaller, thinner Pork Tenderloin is one of my favorite cuts of meat and it’s very versatile and lean. Overcooking it will destroy its wonderful qualities. The tenderloin is perfect for fast cooking techniques, like grilling. Although I have also done a quick pressure cook recipe on this and it’s been flavorful, tender, and moist.
This was a Pork Tenderloin with a Garlic and Herb Gremolata and Creamy Parmesan Pasta. The above recipe was made possible by cooking together pork tenderloin wrapped in foil with a garlic and herb gremolata and placing the pasta right on top and cooking for half the time on the spaghetti package. (see recipe directions)
Cooking a Pork Loin is a little bit trickier. Well not really, but people make it more difficult. They think the longer they cook it, the more tender it will be. Not true. The reality is, the more you cook it the more dried out it will be. In this recipe I skip browning the outside and use a browning sauce that our grandmothers from the 60’s would use. Pretty clever trick really and my roast comes out beautifully right out of the pot. And my gravy is amazing!
