Pan-Roasted PORK Tenderloin

Name: Pan-Roasted PORK Tenderloin
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: World
Ingredients: One 1- to 1 ½-pound pork tenderloin; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon bacon fat, lard, or vegetable oil; 1 (Herb Pan Sauce, or the pan sauce for Steak au Poivre, or Steak Diane)

10m Prep Time
20m Cook Time
35m Ready In

Cuisine : World
Course : Dinner

3 to 4 servings Tenderloin needs special treatment to get browned to our liking. If you find a pork loin roast that will fit comfortably in an ovenproof skillet, you may use this technique for it as well. For tenderloins less than 1 ½ inches thick, grill or sauté them as for pork chops. If desired, first brine the tenderloin and omit the salt below. Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Ingredients

Servings:

½× 1× 1½× 2× 3×

(3 servings) Units:

As Written US Metric

Show sub-recipe ingredients

One 1- to 1 ½-pound pork tenderloin
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon bacon fat, lard, or vegetable oil
1 (Herb Pan Sauce, or the pan sauce for Steak au Poivre, or Steak Diane) (opens in new tab)
- ½ cup minced onion or shallot
- ⅔ cup dry white or red wine, hard cider, or chicken stock or broth
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, white wine vinegar, or Cognac, or to taste
- (4 teaspoons Dijon mustard)
- (1 bay leaf)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- (½ cup heavy cream)
- 1 ½ teaspoons butter
- 2 tablespoons minced herbs such as parsley, tarragon, thyme, or a combination
- Minced fresh herbs
Sub-recipe steps
1. After pan-frying steaks, lamb chops, pork chops, or chicken pieces, transfer them to a platter and keep warm. Pour off most of the excess fat and set the pan over medium heat. Add: ½ cup minced onion or shallot
2. Cook, stirring, until softened but not browned. Increase the heat to medium-high and add: ⅔ cup dry white or red wine, hard cider, or chicken stock or broth
3. Stir with a wooden spoon to loosen and dissolve any browned bits, then bring to a boil and add: 1 tablespoon lemon juice, white wine vinegar, or Cognac, or to taste; (4 teaspoons Dijon mustard); (1 bay leaf); Salt and black pepper to taste
4. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced and thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. If desired, add and cook until reduced by about half, 1 to 2 minutes: (½ cup heavy cream)
5. Take off the heat and swirl in bit by bit: 1 ½ teaspoons butter
6. Remove the bay leaf, if used, or, for a perfectly smooth sauce, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. Stir in: 2 tablespoons minced herbs such as parsley, tarragon, thyme, or a combination
7. Spoon the sauce over the meat and garnish with: Minced fresh herbs

Let's Prepare

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Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.

One 1- to 1 ½-pound pork tenderloin
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon bacon fat, lard, or vegetable oil
1 (Herb Pan Sauce, or the pan sauce for Steak au Poivre, or Steak Diane)

Let's Cook

Step 1.

Pat dry: One 1- to 1 ½-pound pork tenderloin
Step 2.

Season with: 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon black pepper
Step 3.

If the tenderloin is too long to fit in the skillet you plan to use, you may either bend it into a crescent shape or cut it in half crosswise. Fold the thinner end of the tenderloin back along the roast and tie with 2 lengths of butcher’s twine so the pork is of an even thickness. Heat in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat: 1 tablespoon bacon fat, lard, or vegetable oil
Step 4.

Brown the tenderloin well on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 145°F, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. If desired, pour off all the fat from the skillet, place over medium-high heat, and make: (Herb Pan Sauce, or the pan sauce for Steak au Poivre, or Steak Diane)
Step 5.

Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Slice the meat, spoon the sauce over the tenderloin, and serve.