Holding Pork Tenderloin for Guests

This weekend I am going to make a pork tenderloin that my family and I really enjoy for some friends and take it to their house. I have only ever cooked this tenderloin and taken it somewhere else to serve once and I held the temp by putting it back in the oven to warm back up and it was very dry.

Any suggestions on how to keep this from happening. Should I pull the loin 5 - 10 degrees before it is done, leave whole and wrap in a cooler with towels, then slice at the party?

Let me know your suggestions.

Luke

If you have to cook it ahead of time, I would keep it whole, and maybe use some kind of sauce on it (to keep the outside from drying out).

I would probably pull it a few degrees early, then wrap them tightly in foil, and place in a cooler lined with old towels or blanket. (They may continue to cook a bit, when kept in this manner, but should still stay juicy.) Then slice it once you get there.

We like to marinate them overnight in a 1:1 mix of honey & Dijon mustard, before grilling. Save a little sauce on the side to brush-on before slicing and serving.

Hope this helps

I will be extremely tricky and not really sure you'd be able to pull it off.

Maybe do a sous vide hold. Get the loin to 135-140 and then bag it and drop it in a cooler full of 140* water. As long as you keep the water in that range for a few minutes, it will be safe and should stay safe for your hold.

I just don't see any other way to get the loin safe and be able to hold it safely for any length of time without overcooking it.

good luck, I'm glad I'm not in your shoes. Too bad you don't have a pork butt recipe your family really enjoys

Is there any way that you could cook it at their house?

I'm for cooking it there as well. Whole, they take less than an hour; sliced before cooking, less than 6 or 7 minutes.

If that's not possible I'd wonder how long between cooking and eating, i.e., what's the travel time between your place and theirs an d how soon will you likely eat after arrival?

If the total time is less than a couple hours then cook the tenderloin as you wish but take it only to an internal of ~135. (Do not poke or make slits or cuts in the meat prior to cooking. Do not insert your therm until the meat has cooked for 25 minutes.)

Remove the meat ~135 and allow to rest 7 minutes lightly tented with foil. Wrap in foil, crimp well, bag it, then head for your friend's.
(No need to cooler it.)

Put the still-wrapped meat in a pre-heated 350 oven for about 7 minutes, unwrap, return to the oven, and take to an internal of ~145. Remove, rest 5, tented; serve.

If the lag time will be longer, fine - just give yourself more time for the following: Cook as noted above. Rest on a rack (like a cake cooling rack) over a pan, lightly tented, for 30 min, then place everything in the fridge. When cold, wrap the meat in foil, crimping well; return to the fridge. Carry the wrapped meat to your friend's in an iced cooler.

Reheat in a preheated 350 oven, wrapped, for 15-20 minutes; unwrap and continue cooking till the internal hits 145; rest 5-7; serve.

(I've done 5- and 6-course sit-downs for as many as 100 people, with tenderloin as the main, par-cooking ahead and chilling; no problems.)

If you do transport the loin in a cooler. I recommend filling a couple water jugs with hot water and placeing them in the cooler with the tenderloin. I use "Nalgene bottles" they are 32 oz. with good sealing lids and are durable. 2 of them works great. I have practiced this with porks Butts and ribs that I would smoke/prepare before my guests arrive and it works great.

It might buy you a little more time keeping the cooler warm.

Sorry, but I would not recommend doing that. That's a good method if one is cooking to done then needing to keep hot during transport. In this case that would be counterproductive. Cooking till done then holding does not work well with tenderloin, unless the hold time is going to be quite brief. If the hold time will be extended (but less than a couple hours) cooking till not-quite-done then allowing to cool works better. Non-heated transport is recommended. Heating the meat in any way during transport is not a good idea. For longer hold times the meat should be somewhat undercooked then cooled then chilled, and transport should be cold.

Kevin I`m sure your idea is best,

I was just suggesting a way to transport a "cooked" piece of meat and maybe having it warm and ready to go when it gets there.
I should just stay out,and leave this to the Profesionals/Scientists.
Good luck Luke, I`m sure it will be great

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I should just stay out,and leave this to the Profesionals/Scientists. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Nonsense. It's discussion that furthers learning, whether of those involved or those reading it. That's why this board is a good one. There's a lot of discussion.

They live about 15 minutes from my house but I was worried about the meat getting up to temp to early and having to hold it until it is time to eat.

Kevin - You made me think about it a little more clearly and I will probably just take to about 3 - 4 degrees before the temp I want it and let it finish wrapped in foil and then slice once I get to their house.

Thanks,

Luke

There is often confusion between the terms "pork loin" and "pork tenderloin", the latter being only about 1 lb. average each. I am surprised no one has yet asked for clarification. I only ask because the language in the OP seems to speak of the meat in singular terms-- "it", as in one piece-- to serve a large group. Better safe than sorry.

Doug - Good point and one I didn't really think of as I am probably too loose with the term tenderloin. This cut of meat will be a ~4lb pork loin.