The Best Way To Reheat Leftover Pork Tenderloin (And Keep It Moist In The Process)
Pork tenderloin is a dinner table classic, and for good reason. It's a great source of lean protein that cooks relatively quickly compared to many of its porky counterparts, which can need hours of slow cooking to break down the connective tissue. Plus, let's be honest, it's just really delicious. However, because it's so lean, it has to be cooked to the right temperature, and not a second more or a degree over it.
That means that when it's time to reheat the meat, it almost always dries out, which is never ideal. And as delicious as pork tenderloin is when it's cooked well, it's just as sawdusty and dry when it's overcooked. If you've accidentally ruined more than one leftover pork tenderloin in the microwave, don't despair. There are a few simple hacks that ensure that every bite stays moist for the meal encore the day after being refrigerated.
Simmer slowly
The most important thing when reheating pork tenderloin is not to blast it with heat. This isn't something you want to reheat directly in a pan by itself, which will char the outer layer before the interior of the meat is even warm. It will be tough, dry, and underheated all at once. However, if you gently bring the meat to temperature in a skillet with some of the reserved cooking liquid or stock brought to a simmer, you're in business.
The liquid in the pan prevents the meat from drying out. Then, when a lid is added, the steam from the broth stays in the pan, gently warming and keeping the tenderloin extra moist and juicy during the reheating. Additionally, slicing the pork tenderloin into equally thick pieces will help it all reheat at the same pace. Don't forget to occasionally flip the meat so both sides get heated through.
The microwave method
If you prefer to go the microwave route, there's a hack for that as well. All you need is your sink, a microwavable dish, and a paper towel. Just run the water over the paper towel to make it reasonably dampened, though it does not need to be sopping wet. Then lay it over your sliced pork tenderloin (because large shapes that aren't uniform in size will never reheat well or evenly) and reheat in your microwave in 20-30 second intervals. It's really that simple.
If you have steam recirculating back into the dish with the meat and you don't heat it any longer than absolutely necessary, you're going to keep the pork from drying out. You're now ready to feast on pork tenderloin for day two, but let it be said that the stuff is also delicious cold, sliced, and served in a sandwich or atop a salad for protein. So many ways to enjoy, so little stomach space per meal. It's a delicious problem to have.