Yesterday I made some sous vide pork loin that I wasn’t quite sure about. I’m having mixed feelings because, well, this breakfast was absolutely amazing. Maybe the key is thin slices and heavy caramelization – this was like pork belly, only leaner. I know, what’s the point of lean pork belly? Well, it was a nice change of pace, and I have 3lbs of pork belly braising as we speak, so…
Anyway, maybe I was wrong about this. Maybe it was never meant to rival tenderloin in an apples to apples game. This is a rendition that tenderloin could never approach because it doesn’t have a fat cap. This is a version that was scientifically tenderized, negating the need to prevent overcooking. Now I’m thinking I can get even more extreme with the temp and time, as long as I’m finishing it like this.
You may ask yourself, why not just roast it conventionally? Well, at 300+ degrees, I think that fat cap would be significantly diminished, and I don’t know how much collagen would have a chance to break down before you dried the thing out completely. It would be tougher, and leaner, both things I’m not a fan of.
At any rate, I now consider pork loin at 142/12 hours a success. Make sure it has a fat cap. Let it cool completely, and slice it up in 1/4″ pieces. Fry it until nice and golden, season it, and enjoy something remarkably similar to pancetta, without being cured.
could you just give it a 24 hour dry brine with salt, juniper berries and brown sugar and then sous-vide it? I bet that would be nom-nom
That’s a great idea for getting more flavor in there! I think that the lack of marbling may still be an issue though for moisture…