This Vietnamese pork tenderloin is rubbed with lemongrass, fish sauce, garlic, and a little sugar, then seared and roasted until juicy. It brings familiar Vietnamese sweet-salty, citrusy flavors to a quick-cooking cut of pork and is especially good sliced over rice with fresh herbs and a bright dipping sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 pork tenderloin, about 1 1/4 lb (570 g), silver skin trimmed
- 2 lemongrass stalks, tender inner parts only, finely minced (about 30 g); see the substitution note in Tips if unavailable
- 3 tbsp fish sauce (45 ml), divided
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (15 ml)
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar (12 g), packed
- 1 tbsp neutral oil, such as canola or avocado oil (15 ml), plus 1 tsp (5 ml) for the pan if needed
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced (about 9 g), divided
- 1 small shallot, finely minced (about 30 g)
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (about 1 g)
- 1 tbsp lime juice (15 ml), plus 3 tbsp (45 ml) for the dipping sauce
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar (25 g)
- 1/4 cup warm water (60 ml)
- 1 small red chili, thinly sliced, or 1/4 tsp chili flakes (optional)
- 4 cups cooked jasmine rice (about 600 g), for serving
- 1 cucumber, thinly sliced (about 250 g), for serving
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh herbs, such as mint, cilantro, or Thai basil (about 20 g), for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the pork and marinade. Pat the tenderloin dry and remove any tough, shiny silver skin with a small sharp knife. In a shallow dish, combine the minced lemongrass, 2 tbsp (30 ml) fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, 1 tbsp oil, half the garlic, shallot, black pepper, and 1 tbsp lime juice. Stir until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Roll the pork in the mixture, rubbing it over every side. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, turning once halfway through. Keep it chilled while it marinates.
- Heat the oven and make the dipping sauce. Near the end of the marinating time, heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1 tbsp fish sauce, 3 tbsp lime juice, granulated sugar, warm water, the remaining garlic, and chili if using. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then taste. Add a spoonful of water if you prefer a gentler sauce, or a little more lime if you like it sharper. Set aside; this is a dipping sauce, not a sauce for the raw marinade.
- Sear the tenderloin. Lift the pork from the marinade and let excess liquid drip back into the dish. Discard the used marinade; do not serve it or use it as a finishing sauce. Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil if the pan looks dry. Sear the tenderloin for about 1 minute on each side, turning with tongs, until browned all around; allow about 5 minutes total. If the pan is small, sear in batches or use a roasting pan after browning.
- Roast until safely cooked. Transfer the skillet to the oven, or move the pork to a small roasting pan. Roast for about 12–15 minutes, turning once if one side is browning much faster. Start checking at 12 minutes by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part. USDA FSIS gives 145°F (63°C) followed by a 3-minute rest as the safe minimum for whole cuts of pork. If the center has not reached that temperature, return the tenderloin to the oven and check again after a few minutes; the exact time depends on its thickness and your oven.
- Rest and slice. Move the pork to a clean cutting board and rest it for 3 minutes. This rest is part of the safe cooking guidance and also gives the juices time to settle. Slice across the grain into medallions about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick. Spoon any juices from the board over the slices, but keep the dipping sauce separate.
- Serve. Arrange the pork with warm jasmine rice, cucumber, and fresh herbs. Serve the lime-fish-sauce dip on the side so each person can add it to taste. The total elapsed time is about 1 hour 11 minutes: 20 minutes of active preparation, 30 minutes marinating, 18 minutes cooking, and a 3-minute rest. The sauce and serving vegetables can be prepared while the pork roasts.
Tips
- Remove the silver skin. The thin membrane on tenderloin does not soften much as it cooks and can make slices curl or chew tough. Slide the knife just under it and trim it away without cutting off large pieces of meat. If the tenderloin has a thin tail, tuck it under and tie it with kitchen twine so the meat cooks more evenly.
- Make lemongrass easier to mince. Peel away the dry outer layers, trim the woody top, and use only the pale, tender center. If fresh lemongrass is hard to find, use 1 tbsp (about 15 g) prepared lemongrass paste; check whether it is salted before seasoning. In a pinch, use 1 tsp finely grated lime zest plus 1 tsp grated ginger. That gives a citrus-ginger profile, not lemongrass’s distinctive floral, grassy flavor.
- Adjust fish sauce carefully. Fish sauce supplies the marinade’s savory depth and salt, so taste the dipping sauce before adding extra. If you cannot use fish sauce, substitute an equal amount of soy sauce and add a little extra lime. The result will be saltier and less aromatic, but still works with the pork.
- Use a thermometer, not color alone. Pork can look slightly pink at a safe temperature, and color varies with the cut and lighting. Check the thickest section without touching the skillet. Avoid cutting the tenderloin open repeatedly to judge doneness, since that releases juices and gives a less reliable reading.
Serving Suggestions
For a simple rice bowl, spoon rice into each bowl, add several slices of pork, and tuck cucumber and herbs alongside. Mint, cilantro, and Thai basil bring different fresh notes; use one or a mix. Let everyone drizzle on the dipping sauce at the table, because its fish sauce, lime, garlic, and chili can be punchy. A little crunchy lettuce, shredded carrot, or quick-pickled daikon and carrot also fits naturally and adds crisp texture.
To serve family-style, place the sliced pork on a platter and set out rice, herbs, cucumber, and the sauce in separate bowls. This keeps the herbs fresh and lets diners build their own plates. Steamed green beans, sautéed greens, or a lightly dressed cabbage salad make good sides if you want more vegetables. If the pork is the main dish for four, the listed amount of rice provides a comfortable base; add more rice for especially generous portions.
Variations
Grill it: After marinating, wipe off thick clumps of lemongrass so they do not burn. Grill over medium-high heat, turning often to brown the outside evenly, and use a thermometer to check the center. Grills vary, so rely on temperature rather than a fixed number of minutes. Rest the pork for 3 minutes before slicing.
Make it milder or hotter: Leave the chili out of the dipping sauce for a gentler version, then offer sliced chili at the table. For more heat, add extra chili to the sauce a little at a time. A teaspoon of chili-garlic sauce is convenient, but it may bring extra salt, so taste before adding more fish sauce.
Use pork chops: Boneless pork chops can take the same lemongrass-fish-sauce flavors, but they cook faster than a whole tenderloin and vary in thickness. Sear them in a skillet and check each chop’s thickest point with a thermometer; do not use the tenderloin’s roasting time as a guaranteed timing for chops. The same 145°F (63°C) safe minimum and 3-minute rest apply to whole cuts of pork.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate cooked pork within 2 hours of cooking, in a shallow airtight container. It keeps for 3–4 days in the refrigerator. Store rice, cucumber, herbs, and dipping sauce separately when possible: the cucumber and herbs stay fresher, and the rice is easier to reheat without drying the pork. If the pork sat at room temperature for more than 2 hours, discard it rather than saving it.
For best texture, reheat only the amount you plan to eat. Add sliced pork to a covered skillet with a tablespoon of water or broth and warm it gently over low heat, or microwave it covered in short intervals, turning the slices once. Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C), checking with a food thermometer. The pork may cook further and become less tender, so avoid prolonged heating. You can also freeze cooked pork in a sealed freezer-safe container for up to 2–3 months for best quality; thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating. Keep fresh herbs and cucumber out of the freezer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I marinate the pork for longer than 30 minutes?
Yes. For a stronger flavor, marinate it in the refrigerator for up to about 4 hours. Because this mixture contains lime juice, leaving the pork in it overnight can soften the outside and make its texture less pleasant. If you need to prepare it the night before, mix the marinade without the lime, refrigerate the pork in it, and add the lime shortly before cooking.
Can I cook the pork without an oven-safe skillet?
Yes. Sear the tenderloin in any heavy skillet, then transfer it to a small roasting pan or baking dish. Scrape any browned bits into the pan if you like, but do not pour in the used marinade. Roast at the same temperature and check the thickest part with a thermometer; the dish may take a little longer to heat than a preheated skillet.
Why is my pork tenderloin dry?
The most common reason is cooking past the safe temperature, especially with a relatively small tenderloin. Begin checking at 12 minutes in the oven and remove it once the thickest part reaches 145°F (63°C), then rest it for 3 minutes. Also make sure the skillet is hot enough to brown the surface quickly rather than leaving the meat over heat for a long time.
Is pork tenderloin the same as pork loin?
No. Tenderloin is a long, narrow muscle that cooks quickly, while pork loin is a much wider, thicker cut and usually needs a different cooking time. This recipe is written for one tenderloin weighing about 1 1/4 lb (570 g). If you use pork loin instead, adjust the method and check its center temperature rather than relying on the timing here.
Can I prepare the dipping sauce ahead?
Yes. Stir it together up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. The garlic and chili flavor will become more pronounced as it sits, so taste it before serving and thin it with a little water if needed. Keep it separate from the pork marinade, and use a clean spoon when serving.
Related
- Vietnamese Pork Chops: Juicy, Caramelized & Glazed
- Vietnamese Lotus Root Salad (Goi Ngo Sen) Recipe
- Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables (Do Chua): Easy Recipe
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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes
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