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Overview
Pork loin is a broad cut from the back, usually sold as a large roast. Tenderloin is a separate, much smaller cut. Choose a plain boneless center-cut loin with an even shape and a modest outside layer of fat.
The bath starts the cook, then the oven brings the thick center to the temperature in Cook safely before browning and resting. This guide is for an unstuffed loin roast, rather than chops or rolled porchetta.
Time and temperature
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| Texture | Bath setting | Check before serving | Cook time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sliceable Roast | 137°F | 145°F | 2 hours 30 minutes |
A plain boneless 5-pound center-cut pork loin, kept whole or divided into shorter pieces to fit separate bags. Weight is a description, not a guarantee that the center is cooked. Start timing when the bag enters the fully heated circulating bath. The listed time is the bath stage only; allow additional time for hotter cooking, browning, and the rest. Follow the thermometer check in Cook safely before serving.
Choose your texture
- 137°FSliceable Roast
- Firm enough for neat slices, with a thin browned outside and a moist center.
Best for
- A plain boneless 5-pound center-cut pork loin, kept whole or divided into shorter pieces to fit separate bags. Weight is a description, not a guarantee that the center is cooked.
Get it ready
- Check the label for a plain boneless center-cut pork loin. Enhanced, injected, cured, stuffed, and tied roasts need different instructions.
- Trim loose silver skin and ragged fat without stripping the roast bare. Keep it refrigerator-cold while preparing the bag.
- Season the surface with salt and pepper. If the roast will not fit, divide it into shorter pieces and use separate food-safe bags; do not roll or fold it.
- Seal, fully submerge in the heated circulating bath, and start timing. Leave room for water to move around every bag.
Finish and serve
- Use clean utensils to remove the meat from its bag and discard the liquid.
- Continue cooking in a skillet or oven until each thick center reaches 145°F. Insert the thermometer into the center of the thickest part of each roast piece, avoiding the outside fat, and check several places along its length. Recheck cooler areas before the final browning.
- Dry the roast, brush lightly with oil, and brown its outside in the oven or a wide skillet. Turn with clean tongs so the fat side also colors.
- Rest at least 3 minutes after the final heat before cutting. Carve across the muscle into even slices. Spoon a separately cooked sauce alongside and serve immediately.
Useful tips
- Choose loin roast by its cut name, not by a tenderloin cooking time.
- Cutting the roast into shorter lengths helps it fit a bag but does not make its thick center thinner.
- Keep vegetables and stuffing out of the meat bag; cook them separately.
Common problems
- The slices are dry
- The lean center has spent too long in the oven after reaching its temperature. Check as you cook and stop adding heat once the center is ready and the surface is browned.
- The center is still cool when the bath timer ends
- A wide loin heats differently from a narrow tenderloin, and weight alone does not describe its thickness. Continue cooking in the oven and check the center of every piece again before browning and resting.
Questions
QIs pork loin the same as pork tenderloin?
QCan I use a stuffed or rolled loin?
QCan I skip the oven after the bath?
Cook safely
Use fully thawed, refrigerator-cold intact whole-muscle meat. This guide does not cover ground, injected, mechanically tenderized, cured, stuffed, or rolled meat.
Insert the thermometer into the center of the thickest part of each roast piece, avoiding the outside fat, and check several places along its length. Each measured spot must reach 145°F before the final browning.
If a spot is cooler, continue cooking in a skillet or oven and check again. This bath is below that temperature and needs a hotter cooking step; its timer alone cannot make the meat ready to eat.
Rest for at least 3 minutes after the last heat before cutting or serving. Use clean utensils, discard bag liquid, and serve immediately. These instructions do not cover chilling, storage, reheating, or hot holding.