Thomas Keller's Pork Tenderloin with potatoes and asparagus on a plate.

Happy Halloween everyone and Happy Birthday to me! Yep, my birthday is on Halloween, and today’s recipe was prepared by my husband last night as my birthday meal.

He is more foodie than I am in terms of his knowledge on food and restaurants, and he enjoys cooking on special occasions as well as barbecuing on weekends. We had nice pork tenderloin in the fridge so he decided to make a recipe from his favorite cookbook, Thomas Keller’s ad hoc at home.

If you are familiar with Thomas Keller and his legendary restaurants, then you probably guessed the pork tenderloin turned out fabulous and it absolutely did. My husband adapted the recipe a little bit but he followed pretty much the original recipe. We all enjoyed the dinner and I hope you will give this a try. It requires some prep time, but mostly to brine the pork. It’s pretty simple cooking yet the flavor was very complex.

Thomas Keller's Brined Pork Tenderloin and potatoes and asparagus on a white plate.

My husband’s birthday is in one week now and it’s my turn to brainstorm for his birthday meal! Last but not least, thank you Aunt Akemi for the beautiful flowers and birthday wishes. 🙂  Have a safe trick-or-treating everyone!

Thomas Keller's Brined Pork Tenderloin with potatoes and asparagus on a white plate.
Thomas Keller's Brined Pork Tenderloin
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4.80 from 5 votes

Thomas Keller’s Pork Tenderloin

by Namiko Hirasawa Chen
Juicy and flavorful pork tenderloin. It requires some prep time, but mostly to brine the pork.  It’s pretty simple cooking yet the flavor was very complex and fabulous! 
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 2

Ingredients 
 

For Pork Brine

  • 6 Tbsp honey
  • 12 bay leaves
  • 3 sprigs rosemary
  • 3 sprigs thyme (fresh)
  • 1 Tbsp Italian parsley
  • ½ cup garlic (crushed)
  • 2 Tbsp peppercorns
  • 1 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 8 cups water
  • 8 strands saffron
  • 5 basil leaves

For Seasonings

  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 6 sprigs thyme
  • 2 sprigs rosemary

Instructions

  • In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients for the pork brine and bring it to a boil. Remove from the heat and let it cool down. Then chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
    Thomas Keller's Brined Pork Tenderloin 1
  • Put the pork in the brine for 3 hours in the fridge.
    Thomas Keller's Brined Pork Tenderloin 2
  • Rinse the pork under cold water.
    Thomas Keller's Brined Pork Tenderloin 3
  • Pat dry with a paper towel and sit in room temperature for 15 minutes.
    Thomas Keller's Brined Pork Tenderloin 4
  • Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and season the pork generously with salt and pepper.
    Thomas Keller's Brined Pork Tenderloin 5
  • Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet and brown all sides.
    Thomas Keller's Brined Pork Tenderloin 6
  • Add Seasonings and cook, turn the pork occasionally so all sides are coated with seasonings for 3 minutes (I also added potatoes to roast together).
    Thomas Keller's Brined Pork Tenderloin 7
  • Place iron skillet in oven and roast for 15-20 minutes (depending on if medium or well-done is preferred). Remove from the oven and let the meat rest for 10 minutes. Slice pork into ½ inch (1.3 cm) slices and enjoy.
    Thomas Keller's Brined Pork Tenderloin

To Store

  • You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for a month.

Notes

The recipe is adapted from Thomas Keller’s ad hoc at home.

Nutrition

Calories: 522kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 59g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 214mg, Sodium: 1496mg, Potassium: 1182mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 542IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 65mg, Iron: 4mg

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