Sous Vide: Pork Tenderloin Persillé–2020

Serves 3+
Level of difficulty: 3

Preparing the tenderloin

Remove the tenderloin from the packaging and stage onto a clean work surface.

Many people ignore the plainly visible sheet of silver-skin that runs about half the length of the muscle.

This connective tissue is not particularly tough. However, it can tend to shrink and curl during the process of cooking, altering the shape of the muscle and catching in the teeth. It is easy to remove.

Hold the tenderloin at the left end (assuming you are right handed). Insert a boning knife under the skin just to the right of your hand.

Drag the knife along to the right, removing the silver skin in two strips. The option of cutting the tenderloin in half lengthwise makes it easy to stage into the sous vide pouch.

Procedure:

Preheat the sous vide bath to
135 F/57 C.

Stage the pork tenderloin into heat rated vacuum bags and process for 5 hours. This combination of temperature and time will pasteurize the protein.

After processing, shock the sealed pouches in iced tap water to 70 F/21 C before refrigerating. This is a very important safety procedure. The air in refrigerators/freezers is not capable of cooling the pouches fast enough to meet food safety guidelines. After shocking, refrigerate at 40 F/4 C until you are ready to move on to the next step.

Preparation

Submerge the sealed pouch for 5-10 minutes in a preheated sous vide bath or hot tap water (110+ F/44+ C). This will fully melt the gel. Cut open the bag, drain the juices and set aside. Click HERE  to learn how to clarify the juices for use in any recipe that calls for stock or water.

Remove the tenderloin from the pouch and pat dry with a paper towel.

Cut into 6 uniform “tournedos.”

Coat lightly with the egg white solution.

Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, or use one of our dedicated rubs linked HERE. The one pictured is a slight variation on our Cajun Spice Blend. Preheat the oven to 400 F/200 C.

Drizzle with a few drops of oil or a spray release like PAM. Preheat a skillet or cast iron broiler pan to 350 F/176 C. Rub the pan with a paper towel dipped in oil if desired.

Sear the tournedos on both sides until the desired appearance is achieved. They do not need to be fully heated through because they are going to be finished in the oven before service.

Use a pastry brush to apply a thin layer of Dijon mustard.

Sprinkle with the seasoned crumbs.

Drizzle with a few drops of oil or spray release. Bake the coated tournedos until the crust forms. Meanwhile, heat the melted butter in a skillet and toss the carrots and broccoli in the pan with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Arrange the potatoes and vegetables on the plate, shingle two of the tournedos on top and drizzle the plate with the reduced espagnol. Place 2-3 pieces of popcorn around the plate.

Norm King