Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin with Black Bean Salad
"I don’t know about you, but before I actually got into meal prep, I associated it with bland, basic meals like chicken breast and broccoli for days. Hey, it’s great if that’s your thing! But it never got me too motivated or excited about the lunches ahead. So now, when I do my Meal Prep Sunday series, the recipes must pass two important criteria before I share them with you: a) they must be packed with flavor, and b) the meals must be something exciting you wouldn’t find on your basic lunch menu. This week on the menu is a buttery tender, Cuban-style sous vide pork tenderloin and a warm black bean salad side dish."
NotesSince we drown the pork tenderloin in the Cuban marinade and sous vide cook them all together, a Ziploc bag works better than a sous vide bag in this case. Once the contents are under the water, the water will push all the air out of the bag, so no vacuum sealer is necessary.
Cooking at 144°F will give your pork tenderloin a tender and blushing pink color when it’s done. If you like your pork medium-well, increase the temperature to 149°F, or 158°F for well-done pork, according to ChefStep’s Joule app.
Serves5 People
Preparation Time10 min
Cooking Time1 hr 40 min
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 6-8 chunks
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
- juice of 1 orange
- juice of 2 lemons
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
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Place prepared pork tenderloin in a large Ziploc bag. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl, mix well, and pour over the pork. Shake well, zip up, and let marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
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Preheat water to 144°F using a sous vide precision cooker. (I use Anova sous vide machine.)
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Once the water is preheated, take out the marinated pork from your fridge, unzip the Ziploc bag, and slowly lower it into the water bath. Let the water push the air out of the bag, then zip the bag above the waterline. The pork and its marinade should be completely under the water. Cook for 1.5 hours.
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Once the pork is done, remove the bag from the water. Carefully take out the pork tenderloin, and transfer to a plate. Gently pat it dry with paper towels
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Bring the marinade to a boil in a small saucepan and set aside.
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Heat oil in a nonstick pan or a cast iron skillet over high heat. Sear the pork on all sides until the outside is golden brown, about 1 minute per side.