Hoisin Pork Tenderloin

When you’re in the mood for a restaurant-style Asian dish, this hoisin pork tenderloin is just the thing to scratch that itch. It’s simple to prepare, it looks polished (especially if you take a moment to arrange the pork artfully) and it tastes great. There are plenty of options for quick pork tenderloin meals, but seriously: Pork tenderloin with hoisin sauce is a winner. Trust us on this one.

What is hoisin sauce?

Hoisin sauce is one of the dozen or so Asian sauces we think everyone should keep in their pantry. Why? Because it’s super versatile and so widely used in Chinese cuisine. It’s thick, dark, savory and a little sweet. It’s used variously as a condiment, a sauce ingredient and a sauce in its own right. Some have gone so far as to call it China’s equivalent to ketchup. That doesn’t do justice to either condiment, but it’s not entirely wrong either.

Ingredients for Hoisin Pork Tenderloin

• Hoisin sauce: Sweet, savory hoisin sauce makes a fine glaze for pork, with or without added flavoring ingredients.
• Soy sauce: The reduced-sodium soy sauce emphasizes the hoisin’s savory notes, without a lot of added salt.
• Sugar: The sugar in this recipe complements the sweetness of the hoisin itself, and it also helps with browning.
• Garlic: Garlic brings a pungent, savory note to the glaze that helps ground it and balance out the sweetness.
• Red pepper flakes: The moderate quantity of crushed red pepper flakes won’t make the glaze especially hot, but it brings a nice added level of flavor.
• Pork tenderloin: This tender, boneless cut of pork is perfect for quick meals.
• Butter: Butter isn’t an especially authentic Chinese ingredient, but it helps enrich and emulsify the sauce.
• Ramen noodles or rice: Ramen noodles or rice provide the pork with an appropriate side dish.
• Green onions: The sliced green onions bring a mildly savory onion flavor to the dish, and they’re also an eye-pleasing garnish.

Directions

Step 1: Combine the flavorings

Preheat the oven to 475°F. While the oven heats, combine the hoisin, soy sauce, sugar, garlic and red pepper flakes in a small unheated saucepan.

Step 2: Roast the pork

Place the pork tenderloin on a greased rack set on a foil-lined 15x10x1-inch pan. Brush it with 1/4 cup of the hoisin mixture, reserving the rest. Roast the tenderloin until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork reads 145°F, 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 3: Make the sauce

While the pork cooks, stir the water into the remaining hoisin mixture, then bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer the mixture, uncovered, for about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and whisk in the butter. Keep the sauce warm.

Step 4: Prepare the noodles

Remove the pork from the oven and let it stand for at least five minutes before slicing. Prepare the ramen noodles according to the package directions, but leave out the flavor packet. Drain the noodles, and divide them between four bowls.

Step 5: Slice and serve the tenderloin

Slice the pork, arrange it over the noodles and drizzle the sauce over the top. Finish each portion with green onions.

Hoisin Pork Tenderloin Variations

• Bring the garnishes: Preparing a range of extra garnishes brings this dish to a whole other level. Finely shredded carrot or daikon, julienne cucumbers or fresh bean sprouts are all good choices. So are toasted sesame seeds, crushed peanuts or sliced almonds. Fresh cilantro or torn basil leaves work well with these flavors too. Set out a range of garnishes in small bowls, and let everyone personalize their own dish.
• Dial up the heat: A sprinkle of pepper flakes is a good starting point, but if you like your food hot, there’s a lot of room to take it up a notch or two. Any chile peppers you have on hand are probably fine, though Thai “bird” chilies and fresh or dried Chinese chiles are appropriate choices. For milder options, sweet chili sauce pairs well with hoisin as an addition to the sauce. A spoonful of chili crisp added to each bowl is another good option.
• Swap out the tenderloin: Pork tenderloin is a great cut, and because it’s lean and boneless there’s almost no waste. That said, there’s no reason you can’t swap it out for something else. Boneless, skinless chicken breast shares the same virtues, so that’s the most direct substitute. If you’ve splurged on a beef tenderloin, separate that long piece that runs down the side (the “chain” muscle) and use it this way for a second meal. Any other relatively small, tender cut can be used in a similar way. Bigger cuts (like a striploin) can be cubed and skewered for a similar effect.

How to Store Hoisin Pork Tenderloin

Any leftover glazed pork should be transferred to a food-safe container with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate the leftovers as soon as possible after the meal, with or without the accompanying noodles or rice. If you’re short on containers, a zipper-seal bag will also work fine.

How long will hoisin-glazed pork tenderloin keep?

Leftover pork is reliably food safe for three to four days after it’s cooked, as long as you get it into the fridge within an hour or so of your meal.

Can I make this dish ahead of time?

Pork tenderloin and hoisin sauce is not an ideal make-ahead dish, because it’s definitely better when it’s hot and fresh. That said, if you’re pressed for time, you can do it. Leave the roasted tenderloin whole, rather than slicing it, and get it into the fridge as quickly as possible. Pack the glaze into a small storage container as well. When mealtime rolls around, reheat the tenderloin gently, like you’d reheat a steak. Make the noodles as usual, warm up the glaze in your microwave, then slice and serve the pork.

Hoisin Pork Tenderloin Tips

Is it safe to eat pork like this, when it’s still pink?

The answer to that question is “yes, but…” The USDA changed its guidance on pork several years ago, because commercially raised pork is very safe. It can be treated like beef, lamb or any other red meat. That means cooking to 145°, while it’s still pink, is fine. A backyard hog that’s been fed domestic food waste, or a wild hog harvested by a hunter, is riskier. There’s some risk of trichinella or other parasites with those, so it’s safer to cook them to 160°.

Why is my tenderloin so chewy at the edges?

Pork tenderloin has very little fat and no bone, but there is a tough sheath of connective tissue along one side. That’s called the silverskin, and it doesn’t tenderize as it cooks. The best way to remove it is to slide the point of a thin, sharp knife underneath it. Slide the blade along the underside of the membrane, angled slightly upward, to the far end. That slight upward angle helps remove the membrane cleanly, with minimal loss of the edible pork.

Tenderloin is really skinny, how do I check its temperature with a thermometer?

You should be taking its temperature from the middle of the thicker end. Inserting from the side is dicey, because you probably don’t know exactly where the thermometer’s sensor is. Instead, insert it from the round end. The thermometer should slide in about half of its length. You can use either an instant-read meat thermometer or the leave-in kind, both work well. Just be aware that the leave-in kind actually conducts heat into the meat. You may need to pull it out and re-insert it in a slightly different spot to double-check your reading.