This juicy pork tenderloin is sous vide to perfection and dressed with a tangy, smoky, Carolina gold bbq sauce. Prepare to turn a mundane weeknight meal into a memorable feast.

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“I don’t know who Sous is, but I think I love her”

-Local idiot

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What is Sous Vide?

Sous vide is a cooking technique that involves sealing food in a vacuum-sealed bag and immersing it in a water bath that is heated to a precise temperature. It literally means “under vacuum” in French. This allows the food to cook evenly and consistently.

It sounds a lot like just boiling food in a bag, and it kinda is, but not quite. While the food does cook in water, the key difference is the precise temperature control.

With a sous vide, you can cook a steak to the exact temperature you want, whether it’s medium rare or well done. No more guessing work.

The best part of sous vide cooking is that it’s basically foolproof. Even the most inexperienced cook can whip up a gourmet meal with a sous vide.

Just set the temperature, drop in your food, and let it do its thing. It’s a perfect way to cook a juicy pork tenderloin!

If you’re in the market, we use one made by Anova, and we love it! If you want some more details and options Wirecutter wrote a great article comparing sous vides and breaking it all down.

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What is Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce?

Carolina gold BBQ sauce is a delicious and unique regional barbecue sauce that hails from the low country of South Carolina. It’s made with a blend of mustard, vinegar, honey, and spices, and is known for its tangy, sweet, and slightly spicy flavor.

Carolina gold BBQ sauce is typically served on pork, particularly pulled pork, but it’s super delicious on this sous vide pork tenderloin.

Besides being super flavorful, this sauce is also really versatile. It can be used as a marinade, a basting sauce, or a dipping sauce, or you can just drink it right out of the jar with a straw. But people would judge you, so don’t do that.

If you’re a fan of BBQ sauce, you definitely need to give this recipe a try. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and tangy, and it will take whatever meat you’re severing to the next level. So hold onto your butts, this sauce is about to kick it!

Here’s a link for our Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce recipe.

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Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin

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Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need for this sous vide pork tenderloin recipe.

• Pork Tenderloin: Grab one from the butcher counter. Otherwise, they usually come in a bag already seasoned, which is fine, but it locks you into flavors you might not want to commit to.

• Herbs & Spices: This isn’t mandatory, but come on! The sous vide is so easy you can find the strength to put a few ingredients into a bag. A little garlic, shallot, and rosemary will go a long way. And you MUST season your tenderloin with salt & pepper.

• Time: I list this here jokingly, but it is true. The sous vide will cook your tenderloin in about an hour, but I suggest planning ahead a bit and giving it a full four hours to really do its thing. It’s so worth it.

• Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce: You can use whatever sauce you want, or no sauce at all, but you’ll regret it Felicia! So make this fun, unique, tangy sauce, it really makes the pork pop off! Here’s a link to our recipe. Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce Recipe.

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How to Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin

Follow these steps to make this sous vide pork tenderloin recipe.

Step 1: Prep your Water Bath:

To prepare a water bath for the sous vide, simply fill a large pot with water and attach the sous vide to the side.

Set your temperature for the desired doneness. For medium rare set to 130-135 degrees. Medium: 140-145. Medium Well: 150-155. And for well-done, go home you’re drunk!

Step 2: Bag your Tenderloin:

Chop up your garlic and your shallot. Dry the tenderloin by patting it with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.

Place the tenderloin, rosemary, garlic, and shallot into a vacuum sealed bag, or a large zip lock bag. If using a ziplock, lower the bag into the water and just before it is submerged, the pressure should suck out all the air.

You can use a straw to help suck out all the air, as it is critical to do so. Once there is no air in the bag, zip it closed and fully submerge it in the bath.

Step 3: Cook your Pork Tenderloin:

Cook for at least 75 minutes, and up to four hours. The longer the better. However, you shouldn’t go much longer than four hours. Doing so will result in mushy meat, which will then result in sadness.

Once cooked, remove from the water, take out the tenderloin, and discard the rest.

Step 4: Sear your Pork Tenderloin:

Pat your tenderloin dry with paper towels. You’ll get the best sear when with the least amount of moisture in the skillet.

Heat 2 Tbsp’s of butter in a cast iron skillet. Once hot, place the tenderloin in the skillet and sear all sides. 1-2 minute on each side.

Step 5: Rest, Slice, & Serve:

Transfer to a cutting board and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice 1/4 inch thick pieces and arrange on a serving plate.

Drizzle some of that delicious Carolina gold BBQ sauce over the top and Boom, you gotta banger of a meal!

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Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin Leftovers

Leftovers should keep in the fridge for 4-5 days as long as they’re in an airtight container. I wouldn’t recommend freezing this.

We like to make Pork Tenderloin sliders with our leftovers. Just put a couple slices of the pork on a Hawaiian roll along with crisp lettuce, tomato, and of course some Carolina Gold BBQ sauce.

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Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin FAQ’s

Here are some question and answers I hear a lot when talking about sous vide pork tenderloin and sous vide in general.

Should you sear your sous vide pork tenderloin sous?

In general, it’s not necessary to sear your sous vide pork tenderloin. The sous vide will completely cook the meat. It’ll be ready to go right out of the bag.

However, searing it adds flavor and texture to the surface of the meat. We, like most folks, prefer the flavor and texture that searing adds to the final dish. It only takes a few minutes, so YES, you should sear your sous vide pork tenderloin.

What temperature do you sous vide pork?

The ideal sous vide temperature for pork tenderloin depends on your desired level of doneness. Here are some guidelines:

• For medium-rare pork tenderloin, set the sous vide water bath to 130°F (54°C).
• For medium pork tenderloin, set the sous vide water bath to 140°F (60°C).
• For well-done pork tenderloin, set the sous vide water bath to 150°F (65°C).

We prefer somewhere in between medium rare and medium, so we set our sous vide to 135 degrees.

Can you sous vide pork too long?

While it’s not possible to overcook pork tenderloin using the sous vide, it is possible to cook the pork for too long, which can result in a texture that is too soft or mushy.

So YES, you can cook sous vide a pork tenderloin for too long. To avoid this, it’s important to follow the recommended cooking times and temperatures for the desired level of doneness.

We hope this helped! Until next time, cheers and happy cooking!

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