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As much as I love eating pork, I havent always been the biggest fan of cooking it. It always turned out too dry and tough in the past, especially when I tried to cook with pork loin. I knew it could be rich and tender because I had eaten it that way before, but I couldn’t seem to make it happen.
I was embarrassed that I couldn’t cook something that should have been easy, so I asked experts for pork loin cooking tips to figure out what I was doing wrong. My mistake was that I was cooking pork loin the same way I cooked chicken or steak, even though it needs to be cooked in a very different way. If you’ve ever choked down a dry dinner more times than you’d like to admit, here are some tips from professional chefs on how to make the perfect pork loin.
We’ve all been there. You carefully prepare a beautiful pork loin roast or pork chops, following the recipe exactly. But when you slice into the cooked meat, it’s dry and tough instead of juicy and tender. What went wrong?
Pork loin is a very lean cut of meat. Without the right techniques, it can easily end up overcooked and dry. The good news is that with a few simple tricks, you can transform a dried-out pork loin into a moist, delicious meal.
In this article, I’ll share my top tips for fixing and preventing dry pork loin. Whether you’ve already got dry meat on your hands or want to avoid overcooking your next pork roast, these strategies will help you achieve fork-tender, juicy pork loin every time.
Check the Internal Temperature
The number one reason pork dries out is overcooking. Pork loin is at its best when cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F with a short 3 minute rest Any hotter than that, and the meat will begin to get dry and tough.
Always use a good quality instant-read meat thermometer to check for doneness instead of relying on the clock. Pork can look beautifully browned on the outside but still be undercooked on the inside. The thermometer doesn’t lie!
Once the pork hits 145°F, remove it from the heat right away The temperature will rise another 5-10 degrees during resting Let it rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing into it.
Choose the Right Cut
Not all pork loin is created equal when it comes to moisture content The three main options are
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Pork loin roast: Cut from the upper portion of the loin with a higher fat content. More forgiving if slightly overcooked.
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Pork loin chops: Cut from the leaner center portion. Prone to drying out. Cook carefully and use a marinade.
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Pork tenderloin: Extremely lean and tender. Cooks very quickly. Best choice if you like your pork on the rare side.
I prefer a nice thick bone-in loin roast when roasting a pork loin. The bone helps conduct heat evenly and adds flavor. Boneless loin works well too but monitor it closely.
Brine for Added Juiciness
Brining is one of the most effective ways to boost moisture in lean cuts of meat. A saltwater brine helps pork retain moisture and seasons the meat all the way through.
Dissolve 1/2 cup salt in 4 cups warm water. Add any other desired seasonings like garlic, peppercorns, or thyme. Submerge the pork in the brine and refrigerate for 1-4 hours. Rinse and pat dry before cooking as normal.
Just 30 minutes in a basic brine makes a noticeable difference in juiciness! The pork will be well-seasoned too.
Low and Slow Is Key
The biggest mistake people make when cooking pork loin is using too high heat. High heat leads to overcooking on the outside before the inside cooks through.
Cook the pork loin over low to medium-low heat. For oven roasting, target an oven temperature of 325°F. Pan searing over gentle heat is great too. Just be patient—low and slow is the way to go.
Use a thermometer and allow 20-30 minutes per pound to ensure even, gradual cooking. The meat will come up to temperature without drying out.
Fry It Up
Here’s a secret technique the pros use: fry up a few slices of the cooked pork loin in butter or oil. It will add back much-needed moisture and give you an opportunity to deglaze the pan and make an easy sauce.
Just slice the pork 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick and sauté the pieces in olive oil over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes per side. Use tongs to get a nice sear on the meat. Deglaze with chicken broth, wine, or fruit juice and let it reduce to a saucy consistency.
Inject Some Flavor
Meat injectors are an easy way to directly infuse moisture and flavor into pork loin. Load the injector with a marinade, broth, or other liquid seasoning and insert it throughout the meat before cooking.
Aim for 2-3 injections per pound of meat. Good marinade options include apple juice, garlic and herb mixes, citrus juices, or soy sauce and sesame oil. The meat will cook up incredibly moist and packed with extra flavor.
Take It Low and Slow in the Slow Cooker
Cooking pork loin in a slow cooker is an effortless way to keep it tender. Simply add your seasoned pork loin roast and let it cook on low for 7-8 hours until fall-apart tender.
For chops, reduce the time to 4 hours on low. The gentle, moist heat of the slow cooker breaks down connective tissue in the meat. The pork turns out incredibly moist and juicy.
Give It a Good Rub
A flavorful dry rub adds a tasty crust to pork loin while also keeping it nice and juicy. The salt in the rub lightly cures the meat for added moisture. Cracked pepper, garlic, herbs, brown sugar, and spices like cumin all work well.
Coat the pork all over with the rub at least 30 minutes before cooking, or up to overnight for more intense flavor. The rub forms a flavorful, textured bark as the meat cooks. Just watch the temperature closely, as sugary rubs can burn.
Take It for a Swim
Cooking pork loin in liquid is an easy way to prevent it from drying out. Options like poaching, braising, or cooking in sauce allow the meat to gently simmer and absorb moisture.
Braise pork loin in apple cider, wine, broth, or BBQ sauce in a covered pot or Dutch oven until fork-tender. Poach in simmering broth, milk, or water flavored with garlic, herbs, and peppercorns. The meat will turn out incredibly moist.
Wrap It Up
Wrapping pork loin in foil or parchment paper as it cooks helps lock in natural juices. Known as the “tenting” method, just loosely wrap the seasoned meat once browned and let it finish cooking wrapped up.
For oven roasting, tent foil over the pork for the last 15-30 minutes of oven time after browning. When pan searing, loosely wrap and let rest 5-10 minutes before unwrapping and slicing. The trapped steam keeps the meat succulent.
Take It Easy With Salt
While a moderate amount of salt enhances juiciness, oversalting pork can cause it to dry out. Salt damages muscle fibers, causing moisture loss. Use a light hand when seasoning with salt before cooking.
For marinades and rubs, stick to 1 tablespoon or less of salt per 3-4 pounds of meat. Sprinkle lightly with salt after slicing rather than before cooking. Avoid presalted rubs and marinades to control your salt intake.
Whip Up a Fast Marinade
Marinating is one of the easiest ways to add moisture and flavor to pork loin. Even 30 minutes in an acidic marinade makes the meat noticeably more tender and juicy.
Whisk up a quick marinade with olive oil, vinegar or citrus juice, minced garlic, and herbs. Let the pork soak for 30 minutes up to overnight. The acid helps break down tough muscle fibers.
Add Some Fat Back In
Since pork loin is so lean, mixing in some additional fat keeps it nice and moist. Layering bacon strips or pieces of fatty pork on top infuses flavor and moisture.
Barding is a classic technique of wrapping strips of fat around a lean roast. Try cooking chops or tenderloin with a high-quality olive oil or butter to prevent drying out. A little added fat goes a long way.
Take It Down With Acid
Bright, acidic ingredients like citrus juice, vinegars, wine, and yogurt have a tenderizing effect on lean meats like pork loin. They help break down tough muscle fibers.
Make a tangy glaze by simmering orange juice, lime juice, or vinegar with honey, garlic, and spices. During the last 10-15 minutes of cooking, brush the glaze over the pork multiple times. The meat will caramelize and stay tender.
Add Some Apple Magic
Apples pair amazingly well with pork. They add moisture, flavor, and tenderness—perfect for dried-out pork loin. Use fresh apple slices, apple juice, applesauce, or apple cider vinegar.
Roast pork loin stuffed with apple and onion. Make an apple chutney glaze or simmer chops in apple cider. Even adding dried apples or applesauce to the stuffing or side dishes boosts the apple effect. You can’t go wrong with this classic combo.
Transform It into Something New
If all else fails, embrace the dryness! Shred or chop extremely overcooked pork loin and transform it into tasty tacos, empanadas, pot stickers, or casseroles. Mix it with flavorful sa
Then finish it in the oven so it doesn’t overcook.
As soon as a golden crust starts to form on your pork loin, take it out of the hot oven or high heat so it doesn’t overcook by accident. Robinson says that if it hasn’t reached 145 degrees F inside, you should put it in an oven set to 300 degrees F until it’s done. For sure, that low heat will keep it from drying out quickly like it might on a high heat.
Pork loin is infamously difficult to prepare because it dries out faster than other meat—keep it far, far away from your slow-cooker.
Christine Hazel, who just won Food Network’s Chopped, tells SELF that pork loin is more likely to dry out because it is a lean meat that is low in fat. She says youll want to avoid cooking pork loin in a slow-cooker for this very reason. “The low heat for a long length of time renders a tough outcome,” she explains. Something fattier, like pork shoulder or butt, is a better option for your slow-cooker needs.
SELF talks to Brandon Robinson, director of operations at Michael Jordan’s Steak House in Connecticut. He says that if you don’t want a tough pork loin, you need to pay close attention to the cooking times and temperatures. When it comes to other protein sources, like chicken and beef, you have a bit more leeway. You can’t overcook them and dry them out as easily because they have more fat. But if you do, you can easily add them to soup or pasta and no one will notice that they are overcooked. On the other hand, pork loin can go from being perfectly cooked to being too tough to chew in just a few minutes. This is not a protein that you can leave alone.
How to Dry Cure and Smoke Pork Loin
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