Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Sauce and Whole Grain Mustard
By Victor Lang
Total
30 min
Servings
4
Level
Medium
I use lean pork tenderloin for this recipe, cutting the meat into 1.5-inch medallions and cooking them until they are brown and crispy on the outside and pale and juicy on the inside. The pan drippings are made into a pale yellow Dijon cream sauce with fresh parsley and whole mustard seeds. This dish is cooked in one pan.
I trim all the silver skin off the chops before cooking and pat them dry with paper towels. To cook chops in a cast iron pan, I allow the butter to foam and subside in the pan before adding the chops. Cook chops in batches or space them out in the pan to promote browning.
After simmering the broth, lower the heat further before adding cream. I like my sauce to cling to a spoon but not be too thick for the meat. A pork flavor can be added to your sauce by using juices from the meat platter and stirring chopped parsley into the pan near the end of cooking.
Serve medallions warm with mashed or roasted garlic butter potatoes on the side. Hot honey carrots and Asian coleslaw are other options for sides to this dish. For holiday meals, I use scalloped potatoes and add plenty of sauce.
Reasons to make this
- Thicker pork medallions have more surface area to brown and more moisture in the interior.
- Dijon mustard gives a yellow tint to sauce. Whole-grain mustard leaves visible seeds in the sauce.
- Heavy cream pairs well with mustard and can be used to thicken the pan sauce.
- Fresh parsley is added just before serving to keep the green color of the sauce.
- The browned bits left after browning will be in the broth and pan.
- One tenderloin will make a serving of meat cooked in sauce with potatoes or other vegetables.
Ingredients
- •1 ½ lb pork tenderloin (680 g, trim silver skin and slice into 1.5-inch medallions)
- •1 tsp kosher salt (5 g)
- •½ tsp black pepper (2 g)
- •1 tbsp olive oil (15 ml)
- •1 tbsp unsalted butter (15 g)
- •½ cup chicken broth (120 ml)
- •½ cup heavy cream (120 ml)
- •1 tbsp Dijon mustard (15 g)
- •1 tbsp whole grain mustard (15 g)
- •2 tbsp fresh parsley (8 g, finely chopped)
- •1 sprig fresh thyme (for garnish)
Instructions
- 1
Trim the silver skin from the pork tenderloin, then slice it into uniform 1.5-inch medallions. Pat the slices completely dry with paper towels and season both sides with 1 tsp kosher salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper.
- 2
Heat a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp unsalted butter. When the butter foams and subsides, add the pork without crowding the pan. Sear undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until the pork reaches 145°F (63°C). Transfer the medallions to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
- 3
Lower the heat to medium and pour 0.5 cup chicken broth into the skillet. Scrape the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.
- 4
Reduce the broth by half, about 2 minutes. Whisk in 1 tbsp Dijon mustard and 0.5 cup heavy cream, then simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes, whisking frequently. When the sauce coats the back of a spoon, stir in 1 tbsp whole grain mustard.
- 5
Remove the skillet from the heat. Whisk the juices from the resting pork plate into the sauce, then stir in most of the 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley, reserving a tiny pinch for plating.
- 6
Arrange the pork medallions overlapping on a plate and spoon the Dijon sauce over them. Scatter over the reserved parsley, top with 1 sprig fresh thyme, and serve immediately.
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