Introduction: SOUS VIDE BONELESS PORK LOIN ROAST

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About: I am a 82-year-old self-proclaimed Chef who has spent most of his life in the hotel/resort tourism industry. I have traveled up and down the east coast of the United States from New York to Key West, and from …

I've had this 3 lb half of a whole boneless pork loin defrosting in the refrigerator for 3 days now and it has finally thawed enough to cook, so I decided to give it a Sous Vide waterbath! After considerable research, I decided to cook the roast in my Sous Vide pot at 140 degrees Fahrenheit for 6 hours, and here's the way this went . . .

Step 1: PREPARATION, DAY 1 (MARINADE PORK LOIN)

1 half rolled, boned, pork loin (after removing all fat, this half weighed about 2 - 3/4 lbs)

Marinade:

  1. 3/4 cup Coconut Aminos Teriyaki Sauce
  2. 1/4 cup Jim Beam Green Apple Bouron
  3. 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
  4. *3 cloves garlic
  5. 1 teaspoon Sriracha Sauce

Whisk or blend all of the marinade ingredients together; place the pork loin in a heavy ziplock freezer bag and pour the marinade over the roast. Seal bag and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, turning or inverting bag several times during the period of refrigerator to achieve maximum saturation of the marinade. (I marinated this roast over night)

*NOTE: I like to crush or mince garlic over the bowl in which I am preparing the marinade; this way the juices from the garlic are also added to the marinade.

Step 2: INSTRUCTIONS (DAY 2) - COOKING THE PORK LOIN SOUS VIDE STYLE

  1. Remove the marinated pork loin from the refrigerator; discard the marinade, rinse and dry the pork loin.
  2. Fill the Sous Vide pot with the recommended amount of water *(in my case, a little over 8 quarts of water).
  3. Place the now dry marinated pork loin in a **clean ziplock bag and slowly submerge it in the pot (in the water) while displacing the air as you press down on the bagged pork loin. Be careful to keep the open end of the bag just above the surface of the water; you want to get all of the air out of the bag without allowing any liquid whatsoever to enter the bag. When all of the air has been removed, seal the bag and remove it from the Sous Vide Pot and set it aside.
  4. Set the Sous Vide temperature to 140 degrees Fahrenheit and wait until the waterbath reaches that temperature (about 15 -20 minutes).
  5. Place the sealed ziplock bag containing the pork roast into the waterbath, and, if necessary weight it down with a plate so that it will remain completely submerged throughout the cooking process.

Cook the pork loin in the waterbath for 6 hours (this is the best part of cooking Sous Vide style; you can do whatever you want for the next 6 hours without worrying about whether or not your roast will be cooking at the right temperature, or whether or not your electric or gas oven is going to burn the house down)!

  1. At the end of the 6-hour period, remove the pork loin from the waterbath (I checked the temperature of the roast upon removing it from the Sous Vide pot - it was actually 139.1 degrees F). Take it out of the ziplock bag, dry it off, and let it rest on the counter
  2. Add a few tablespoons of high temperature cooking oil to a cast iron skillet or heavy pan and heat over medium-high heat.
  3. When the oil just begins to smoke, sear the pork loin on all sides until nicely browned.
  4. Remove from heat and cover it with aluminum foil; let it rest on the counter while you prepare your side dishes, or until you are ready to eat.

  • *NOTE: The water level in my Sous Vide cooking container must remain between 8 and 12 quarts throughout the cooking process. Since the weight of the pork loin will displace some of the water, I usually fill the pot to just over the 8 quart marker. Once the water reaches the starting temperature, I add the roast; then add any additional water necessary to maintain a level about halfway between the 8 and 12 quart markers.
  • **NOTE: Instead of placing the pork loin in a new ziplock bag, you can cook it in the one that you marinated it in, however, you should wipe that bag completely dry. I chose to use a new bag,

Step 3: TIME TO EAT . . .

This pork loin cooked Sous Vide style was amazingly tender and juicy. I enjoyed a few slices along with a side of pan-fried butter beans, a little cranberry sauce (mostly to add color to the dish), and a small glass of Jim Beam's Green Apple Bourbon garnished with a slice from one of Granny Smith's green apples. Here's to you, Jim!

BON APPETITE !

(Nutrition for this recipe has been calculated to the best of my ability using the MyFitNessPal Recipe Analyzer, and does not include the values of any side dishes or beverages - Click on the image to enlarge it).