Pork Tenderloin With Mustard Sauce Made Tender

This pork tenderloin with mustard sauce is a 35-minute skillet dinner: sear the tenderloin on the stove, finish it in the oven, then build a creamy maple-Dijon sauce in the same pan while the meat rests. The browned bits left behind by the sear give the sauce most of its flavor, and a thermometer, not the clock, tells you when to pull the pork.

Ingredients

• 1 1-pound pork tenderloin, trimmed of silver skin
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, finely minced
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Trim off the silver skin, the thin, shiny membrane along one side of the tenderloin. It doesn’t melt as it cooks and makes the pork curl in the pan. Slide a thin knife just under it and cut away from you, angling the blade slightly up so you don’t take meat with it.

How to Sear, Roast and Sauce the Tenderloin

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Pat the pork dry and season it all over with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

2. Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork for 2 minutes per side, turning to brown all four sides. The pork is ready for the oven when every side has a well-browned crust.

3. Transfer the skillet to the 400°F oven and roast the pork for about 10 minutes. Check the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer; it is ready when it reaches 145°F. Start checking at 8 minutes if your tenderloin is thin; thickness varies, and a minute too long is what dries this lean cut out.

4. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let it rest for 3 minutes. Use an oven mitt on the skillet handle from here on; it stays hot for a long time. Leave the skillet on the stovetop over medium heat.

5. Melt the butter in the skillet, then add the shallot and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and heavy cream. Stir until evenly combined.

6. Simmer the sauce over medium heat for 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the skillet. The sauce is ready when it lightly coats the back of a spoon and the browned bits have been incorporated. Slice the pork and spoon the sauce over it.

Pork tenderloin is safe at 145°F followed by a 3-minute rest, and it will still look slightly pink in the center at that point. Judge doneness by the thermometer, not the color; the USDA safe temperature chart lists the minimum temperatures.

Keeping Pork Tenderloin Juicy

Tenderloin is very lean, so the window between juicy and dry is small. Most dry tenderloin comes from following the roasting time alone: a thin 1-pound tenderloin can hit 145°F several minutes before a thick one. Check early, check in the thickest part, and take it out as soon as it reads 145°F.

The sear on all four sides does double duty. It gives the outside a crust, and it leaves browned bits in the skillet that dissolve into the broth and cream. That is why the sauce is made in the same pan rather than a clean one. If the sauce is thinner than you like after 2 minutes, simmer it 1 to 2 minutes more before spooning it over the pork.

Swaps for the Cream, Maple and Mustard

• Half-and-half instead of heavy cream: expect a lighter, slightly thinner sauce. Keep it at a gentle simmer so it doesn’t separate.
• Honey instead of maple syrup: expect a sweeter sauce with a noticeable honey flavor.
• Whole grain mustard instead of Dijon: expect a milder, more textured sauce with visible mustard seeds.

Storing, Reheating and Making Ahead

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours of cooking and use them within 3 to 4 days. Store the sliced pork and sauce separately if you can. Reheat the sauce gently on the stove, adding a splash of broth if it has thickened, then warm the pork slices in it until they reach 165°F. Low heat keeps the lean meat from toughening.

To get ahead, trim and season the tenderloin several hours in advance and keep it covered in the fridge. Mince the shallot and garlic at the same time.

What to Serve with Pork Tenderloin and Mustard Sauce

The creamy sauce wants something to soak it up: mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or crusty bread. Add roasted green beans for something green. If pork tenderloin is a regular on your table, try it wrapped and roasted in this prosciutto-wrapped pork tenderloin, or with a sweet-tart glaze in this roasted pork tenderloin with plum sauce.

FAQ

Is it OK if the pork is a little pink?

Yes. At 145°F with a 3-minute rest, pork tenderloin is safe to eat and will often have a blush of pink in the center. Cooking it until no pink remains usually means it is overcooked and dry.

Can I use pork loin instead of tenderloin?

Not with these times. Pork loin is a much larger, wider roast that needs a longer roasting time, so this recipe’s sear-and-10-minute roast won’t cook it through. Stick with tenderloin, the long, narrow cut sold in packages of about 1 pound.

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