Pork Loin vs Pork Tenderloin: Cooking Methods

While both cuts have a mild pork flavor that goes well with our Perfect Pork and Pork & Poultry Rubs, and both cook to the same internal temperature (about 145°F), the cooking process is not identical.

How To Cook Pork Loin

Avoid high heat with pork loin to keep it juicy.

One downside of pork loin is that it dries out easily. For this reason, it’s a great idea to brine pork loin before cooking it; a soak in the salty liquid adds flavor and keeps the meat juicy and moist. The orange infused brine in the dinner-party-worthy Citrus Brined Pork Roast with Fig Mostarda would work well as a first step in just about any pork loin recipe.

Roasting, as is done in this Honey-Glazed Roasted Pork Loin is another good possibility, but not at a high heat, which can overcook the loin. A steady 350°F is a better choice.

Of course, we may be partial, but perhaps the best way to cook a pork loin is to smoke it low and slow. That way you get loads of flavor and tender, juicy meat (just make sure to not open your lid throughout the cook or you won't have the best results).

For an easy introduction to smoking pork loin, try this two-ingredient Smoked Pork Loin recipe. Here's our guide on how to smoke pork loin.

Another good choice for pork loin is a braise, that is cooking the meat in a flavorful mixture low and slow to keep it tender. In this Smoked Pork Loin with Sauerkraut and Apples, the loin gets a brief smoke and then a long simmer on the Traeger with the tangy sauerkraut, beer, and apples, which not only keep the meat moist, but creates a rich, sweet and sour sauce as well.

For more pork loin recipes, including recipes for pork loin chops, click on the link.

How To Cook Pork Tenderloin

Quick cooking pork tenderloin can take the heat.

A quick scan of our favorite pork tenderloin recipes shows that we most often grill pork tenderloin. That makes sense because unlike a pork loin, a pork tenderloin it can take the heat and develops a lovely crust on the exterior, as you can see on this Cocoa Crusted Pork Tenderloin.

Because it’s so tender, brining a pork tenderloin is not essential for tenderness, but it can add flavor. A better bet for adding flavor to pork tenderloin is with a marinade; just don’t marinate it for too long in an acidic marinade or the tender meat can become mushy.

Pork tenderloin can also be roasted, though to be honest it makes a less impressive looking roast than a pork loin because of its small size. That said, it works really well roasted on the Traeger on a baking sheet as in this easy weeknight recipe for Pork, Apple, and Sweet Potato Sheet Pan Supper.

Of course, because we’re Traeger, we also think pork tenderloin is amazing smoked as in our very popular Smoked Pork Tenderloin. Because it’s so much thinner than pork loin, it takes about half the time to smoke it. You can also mix the methods to get the best of both worlds, start on low heat to get that wood-fired flavor then crank it up to give it a great finish as in this Apricot Pork Tenderloin.

Because it’s so tender, pork tenderloins are also often cut into medallions and seared or grilled, which takes mere minutes. And in this unusual but delicious recipe, strips of the meat are twirled and skewered for fun to eat pork tenderloin “pops.”