Pork Tenderloin is one of the leanest cuts of pork, and so quick cooking and flavorful. This simple preparation suits my cooking style perfectly – you brown the whole tenderloin and let it rest. (Pour a glass of wine and go watch the news.) Then slice it into medallions, brown them and top with a quick pan sauce made of the pan juices, cream, and either mustard, lemon juice or Calvados. My husband really thought this was delicious. I used Dijon and will try the other options too; as you can make this without a recipe after the first time. Credit to Mark Bittman of the NYT for this recipe.
1 boneless pork tenderloin, about 1 pound
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 Tbs. butter, extra-virgin olive oil, or a combination
1/4 cup cream
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard, lemon juice, or Calvados, optional
Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish, optional
Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Put a large skillet over medium-high heat; a minute later add 2 Tbs. butter and/or oil. When butter foam subsides, or oil dimples, add meat (curve it into the skillet if necessary). Brown it well on all sides, for a total of 4 to 6 minutes. Turn off heat, remove meat from pan, and let it sit on a board. When skillet has cooled a bit, proceed.
Cut meat into inch-thick slices. Once again turn heat to medium-high, add remaining butter and /or oil and, when it’s hot, add pork slices to pan. Brown on each side, about 2 or 3 minutes each. Turn heat to low and remove meat to a warm platter.
Add 1/2 cup water to pan, turn heat to high, and cook, stirring and scraping, for a minute. Lower heat slightly, add cream and cook until slightly thickened. Stir in mustard, lemon juice or Calvados, if using, then taste and adjust seasoning. Serve meat with sauce spooned on top, garnished if you like, with parsley. Serves 4
Note: I used 1 Tbs. each butter and oil to saute the whole tenderloin, and felt there was enough remaining in the pan to saute the medallions without adding any additional. The cream will add richness.
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