Pan Seared Pork Tenderloin

Fall is always the time of year when I have a renewed interest in cooking.

The long, hot summer is filled with salad days.  As much as I love them,

by the time September rolls around, I am ready for a change.  

Now that October is just days away, I am ready to make the kitchen the

heart of the home once again.  One of my favorite recipes to welcome the

season is a pan seared pork tenderloin.  It's easy, delicious, full of flavor.

This dish always makes my hubby believe that I am indeed a good cook.

He seems to believe that it takes special skill to create, but in truth is

really simple.  I'll share my secret with you.

Start with a nice pork tenderloin.  There is not much prep work.  Just trim

off any excess fat and or silver skin.  I like to let the meat rest a bit before

cooking to allow it to come to room temperature.  This is when I sprinkle

it generously with garlic powder, and a bit of sea salt and pepper.

Coat the bottom of a skillet with olive oil.  Turn the heat up to medium

high and let the oil get hot.  Add the tenderloin and brown the meat 

on all sides.  You want some color on the pork, without burning or

cooking it through.  The time this takes can vary depending upon your

stovetop, I generously allow about 10 minutes to brown the meat on

all sides.  

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees while prepping and browning the 

meat.   You will be finishing the pork in the oven.  Make sure your

skillet has an oven friendly handle so that you can place the 

browned pork directly in the oven for 15 minutes.

After removing the pork from the oven, place it on a cutting board, 

cover loosely with foil, and allow to sit while making the pan sauce.

When the pork comes out of the oven, you will be left with the 

delicious brown bits at the bottom of the pan.  This is when I pour in

1/2 cup of chicken broth and crank up the heat under the pan.  This 

heat will dislodge those bits.  Keep stirring and scraping the bottom of 

the pan and allow this liquid to reduce by one third.  This is when I add

a bit of Dijon mustard and a pat of butter.  The addition of these two

ingredients will add to the flavor and richness of the sauce.  This is not

a gravy, but a pan sauce, so it will not be thick, but it will be delicious.

Slice the pork and plate it with a bit of the sauce drizzled over the top.

I served this dinner with oven roasted tiny red skin potatoes and 

some green bean casserole.  I will share my green bean casserole with

you in a later post.  It's not the traditional recipe, but I have jazzed it

up a bit.

I hope that you try this pork tenderloin recipe, and if you do, I hope

that you and your family will enjoy it.

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley