Hoisin Pork Tenderloin with Soba Noodle Salad – Sous Vide

Hoisin Pork Tenderloin with Soba Noodle Salad – Sous Vide

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Moderate

Sous Vide Temp: 135 – 140 F; Time: 2 – 4 hrs.

Hoisin Pork Tenderloin with Soba Noodle Salad – Sous Vide 

Pork tenderloin is a perfect cut of pork for sous vide, as the window of proper “doneness” is vanishingly small when traditional methods are used. All too often the tenderloin is overcooked and dry. The sous vide tenderloin comes out incredibly moist without resorting to a prolonged brine before cooking. Today’s leaner pork can be enjoyed medium rare – 135 degree throughout will achieve that.  If you wish a little less pink…use 140 degree F. The tenderloin refers to the psoas major muscle along the central spine portion of the pic. It is the tender most part of the animal as the muscle is used for posture and not locomotion. As a result, it does not build up a lot of connective tissue and remains tender. By cooking the tenderloins sous vide-style, the marinade continues to work its magic, while the even heat of the water oven ensures perfectly cooked, moist pork. A few minutes on the barbeque or a quick stovetop sear, and you have a perfect meal.

This hoisin and lime-marinated version is a favorite in our house. Hoisin, also called Peking sauce, can easily be found in the Asian section of your neighborhood grocer. It is a thick, reddish-brown sauce in appearance and sweet, spicy and salty in taste widely used in Chinese cooking. Soba is the Japanese name for buckwheat and synonymous with a type of thin noodle made from buckwheat flour. It has a correspondingly strong, nutty flavor. Generally we find dried soba in packets, but keep your eyes open for fresh soba at Asian markets.

• ½ C Hoisin Sauce
• 2 Tb canola oil
• 2 Tb fresh lime juice
• 4 Tb unseasoned rice vinegar (divided)
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each, sliver skins removed
• 8 ounces uncooked soba noodles
• 1½ C sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved diagonally
• ½ red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 Tb dark sesame oil
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)
• 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced 

Whisk together hoisin sauce, oil, lime juice, 2 Tb rice vinegar, and garlic. Place the pork tenderloins in a gallon-size, zip-lock food bag. Add the marinade and seal the bag using the water displacement method previously described. See All About Sous Vide: http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2015/06/all-about-sous-vide.html

Vacuum sealing with a home device is not an option because of the quantity of liquid in the bag. Marinade the pork in bag, in the refrigerator, for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours.

 

The port tenderloins marinating in the Ziploc bag. These can then go into the sous vide water.

Preheat the water bath to 135 degree F for medium rare, 140 degree F for medium. Place the pork, in the bags with marinade, into sous vide pot for 2-4 hours.

Meanwhile make the soba noodle salad. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and add soba noodles, cook 4 minutes. Add sugar snap peas to saucepan, cook 1 minute more. Drain all – noodles and sugar snap peas. Let cool. Combine 2 Tb rice vinegar, dark sesame oil, soy sauce and sambal oelek in a bowl. Set aside. Before serving add sesame seeds and green onions.

 

Soba noodles and the fixins'

Remove the tenderloins from the bag and transfer to a large plate. Discard the remaining marinade. Heat a barbeque grill on high or use a cast iron pan. Sear the pork on all sides, turning with tongs, about 3 minutes total. Remove from heat, slice in large 2” slices and place meat on dish with soba noodle salad.

Pork after sous vide

Then grill (note the artistry!!)

Pork cooked medium to medium rare

You will love the combination of flavors in this dish!

Larue