Perfect Pork

Now that I perfected my cooking and grilling techniques for this recipe (mostly by figuring out the correct cooking temperature), Pineapple regularly requests this dish.

This recipe is adapted from "Modernist Cuisine at Home" and consistently produces succulent pork tenderloin or pork chops. I will give you the recipe for pork tenderloin. Cooking pork chops is the same recipe, just 2 degrees hotter.

Tools

• Sous vide cooker: this is essential, my cooker looks like a crock pot, but any kind will work
• Zip-top bags: name-brand will be better; off-brand may leak which results in less-flavorful meat
• Meat tongs
• Meat thermometer
• Skillet or Pan: A thick one (e.g. cast iron) will work more effectively
• Spatter Guard: This is optional, but helps reduce the mess

Ingredients

• Pork Tenderloin: I prefer pasture raised pork, but this should work with any 
• Salt: Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt is easy to apply via pinching
• Mild-flavored oil: I use a refined coconut oil which is liquid at room temperature
• Butter or cooking oil: for my cut of pork I employ extra virgin olive oil; it produces a better grill color than virgin coconut oil. I use butter for Pineapple's cut.

Directions

When I cook this pork I follow a basic process. The process comes from more-detailed instructions.

Quick Reference

1. Cook the meat sous vide to 138 degrees for pink (142 degrees for medium)
2. Pan-sear the meat for 30 seconds per side at about 50% heat
3. Salt the meat generously

Full instructions

1. Start heating the sous vide to 140 degrees Fahrenheit for medium rare.
1. 144 degrees for medium.
2. Place each piece of meat in its own zip-top bag.
3. Add a couple of tablespoons of the mild-flavored oil to the bag.
4. Submerge most of the zip-top bag in water to drive out the air.
1. The oil is there to fill in the gaps instead of leaving bubbles next to the meat.
5. Zip seal the zip-top bag.
6. Place the bag in the sous vide (you can put the meat in before the device is at temperature)
7. After the sous vide is at the correct temperature, set a timer for 50 minutes.
1. It's difficult to overook at this point; If you left the meat in for an extra hour it might start tasting like cardboard as the nutrients and flavors break down.
8. When the timer is finished, check the temperature of the meat using a meat thermometer. 
1. Insert the thermometer in the thickest portion of the meat.
2. Ensure the center temperature is at least 138 degrees Fahrenheit (142 if you are targeting a medium cook).
3. If the meat isn't to temperature, adjust the cooking duration as necessary; i.e. leave the pork in for another 5-10 minutes and measure again.
9. When the meat is at temperature, start heating the skillet/pan on the stove stop with 2 tablespoons of either cooking oil or butter
1. For a gas range, I recommend a smaller heating element to avoid potential flames
2. I recommend setting the temperature to about 50% of maximum; where butter will bubble quite a bit when initially put in the pan but won't cook away for a few minutes
3. You may want to use the spatter guard to reduce the mess and subsequent cleanup
10. Remove the pork from the zip-top bag
1. The pork will be a dull gray color
11. Sear the pork in the skillet for 30 seconds per side
1. I also will sear the ends of the pork by holding the pork with tongs and dipping the ends into the cooking oil/butter for ~15 seconds.
2. You should get nice caramelization on each side. Butter will give you a darker color than olive oil or coconut oil. To get better color with coconut oil you might cook it for 45 seconds per side.
3. Make sure that there is plenty of oil/butter between the pan and the pork and that you cook over the center of the heat. You will get uneven cooking if the meat is toward the side of the pan or the pan is significantly larger than the heating element.
12. Place the pork on a serving plate
13. Salt the pork generously on the top, flip the pork and salt the bottom (which is now the top)
1. Grab a large pinch of salt
1. As much as you can reasonably grab between your thumb and forefinger
2. Sprinkle the salt from about 6-10 inches above the plate
1. Sprinkle by moving your thumb and finger back and forth in opposite directions
2. But also move your arm up and down the meat to get an even coating everywhere
3. I usually salt enough that the salt is still white for about a half second before it turns translucent
4. If you seared using salted butter you should use about half as much salt
5. Adjust the salt to your taste
14. Serve/Enjoy immediately