Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Pork Tenderloin

Exquisite pork tenderloin flavour pairings and recipes, revealed through data science.

Pork tenderloin conjures the evocative embrace of thiamine and the bracing kiss of protease, but beneath its umaminess lies a complex symphony of subtle flavour notes, such as glutamate, milk, and hints of poultry that give it remarkable depth. The key to a remarkable synergy lies in appreciating how these elements combine harmoniously.

To illuminate these harmonies, we embarked on an ambitious journey, analysing thousands of ingredients. Each was meticulously deconstructed across 150 distinct flavour dimensions, allowing us to pinpoint precisely which notes complement in both classic and unexpected ways. Our analysis reveals, for example, how oregano's thymic tones awaken pork tenderloin, and how sage's rosmarinic notes create a surprising synergy with its porky meatiness.

An ingredient's flavour comes from its core characteristics, like carnal, maillard, and acidic, combined with its unique aroma notes (outer bars). When pairing ingredients, aim to include a broad variety of core characteristics for a balanced dish. And choose aroma notes that complement each other for a harmonious combination.

The Flavour Code

To understand exactly which flavours harmonise, we compiled a database of over 50,000 ingredient pairings commonly used in cooking. We then analysed these pairings, identifying the specific flavour notes that frequently appear together.

The Flavours That Harmonise With Porcine Notes

Our analysis reveals a strong connection between pork and rosemary flavours. Since pork tenderloin has a distinct porky flavour, try pairing it with the rosemary flavours of sage.

The recipes below provide inspiration for pairing pork tenderloin with sage.

Harmonious Flavours Of Pork Tenderloin

Just as our analysis showed that pork and violic notes are harmonious, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the flavours present in pork tenderloin. For instance, the fermented proteins notes of pork tenderloin are strongly associated with green and grassy flavours.

The aroma accents associated with the various aromas of pork tenderloin can be seen highlighted in the pink bars below.

Matching Flavour Profiles

The flavour profile of oregano offers many of the accents complementary to pork tenderloin, including thyme and rosemary notes. Because the flavour profile of oregano has many of the of the features that are complementary to pork tenderloin, they are likely to pair very well together.

The chart above shows the unique profile of oregano across 150 dimensions of flavour, while the recipes below offer inspiration for bringing these flavours together with pork tenderloin.

Recipes That Pair Pork Tenderloin With Oregano

Linked Flavour Notes

Looking at the aroma accents that are most strongly associated with the various flavours of pork tenderloin, we can identify other ingredients that are likely to pair well.

The left side of the chart above highlights the aroma notes of pork tenderloin, along with the complementary aromas associated with each note. While the right side shows some of the ingredients that share many of the aroma accents complementary to pork tenderloin.

What To Drink With Pork Tenderloin

The rosemary notes in côtes du rhône make it a perfect pairing with pork tenderloin. Likewise, the rosemary flavours in côtes catalanes create a match made in heaven. Explore a variety of ingredients below that beautifully complement the unique character of pork tenderloin below.

Which Fruit Go With Pork Tenderloin?

Choose fruit that cut through its meatiness or anchor its fermented aroma. Red bell pepper and grape tomato offer vibrant, clean counterpoints, their verdant freshness lifting the palate. Strawberry add a gentle, oniony brightness, while raisin introduces a sophisticated, anise-tinged elegance.

Alternatively, embrace fruit that harmonise with pork tenderloin's creaminess. The addition of greengage, with its subtle amygdaline notes, can complement the milk beautifully, while avocado lends a nutty aroma.

How Flavonomics Works

We've pioneered a unique, data-driven approach to decode the intricate art of flavour pairing. Our goal is to move beyond intuition and uncover the science of why certain ingredients harmonise beautifully. This rigorous methodology allows us to provide you with insightful and reliable pairing recommendations.

Our analysis begins with over 50,000 carefully selected recipes from acclaimed chefs like Galton Blackiston, Marcello Tully, and Pierre Lambinon. This premium dataset ensures our model distils genuine culinary excellence and creativity.

Each ingredient from these recipes is deconstructed across 150 distinct flavour dimensions, creating a unique numerical "flavour fingerprint." This quantification allows us to apply advanced analytical methods to identify complex patterns between flavour notes.

We identify popular ingredient combinations that frequently appear in our recipe database. Regression analysis is then performed on these pairings to statistically validate and pinpoint truly harmonious flavours.

These insights drive our predictive model, which allows us to take any ingredient (e.g., Pork tenderloin), analyse its detailed flavour profile, and accurately reveal its complementary flavours and perfect ingredient partners.