Brined Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin

My parents brined our turkey this year for Thanksgiving, and it got me thinking. Why don’t we brine other stuff? So, I talked it over with my Mom, and she thought it would be an awesome idea to brine a pork tenderloin. She gave me her basic rules for making a brine – salt, sugar and water at a 1:1:1 ratio. Then, add some flavor with seasoning, sauces and some type of citrus. It was incredible! The pork was tender and juicy. It practically fell apart on my fork. If you have some time to kill this weekend, brine a pork tenderloin. It made a perfect Sunday dinner.

Did you know the total value of Arkansas pork production is around $102 million per year?

an image of brined teriyaki pork tenderloin with broccoli and potato in the background

Ingredients

  • 1 pork tenderloin
  • 6 cups of water
  • 2 cups ice
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup salt
  • ¼ cup teriyaki sauce
  • 1 large orange, sliced and juiced
  • pepper, for seasoning
  • ice

Instructions

  1. Combine water, sugar and salt in a large pot. Bring to a rolling boil and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat. Add ice. This makes a full 1/2 gallon and cools the mixture.
  2. Add in teriyaki sauce and stir to combine. Slice orange, squeeze juice into pot and then add in orange peel. Stir.
  3. Gently place tenderloin into pot and let sit for at least 1 hour at room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  4. After tenderloin is done brining, pull it from pot and lightly pepper. Put on baking sheet or in glass baking dish and bake for 20 minutes per pound, or until interior temperature reaches 160 degrees.
  5. Remove from oven and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes. Slice thin and serve with drippings from baking pan or more teriyaki sauce.