Pork Medallions

Aaron’s Grown-Up Pork Medallions

Do you remember your first adult dinner party? By that I mean, not a yawning affair you got dragged to by your parents and ordered to be on your best behavior, but rather a dinner you attended as a newly-minted adult, invited by a host who presumed you would be good company and an appreciative guest?

I remember one of my ‘firsts’ fondly. Fresh out of college, I had landed a full-time job in Washington, D.C. in the late 1980s, sharing a 1920s row house with 3 friends. A colleague, Aaron Stern, invited me and two other coworkers to his apartment for dinner.  He had spent his college summer breaks working as a busboy at a well-regarded Oregon restaurant, and the chef had taken him under his wing.

Aaron’s Woodley Park studio apartment had a mid-century vibe before mid-century was cool, but I felt pretty hip tucking into the brie and crackers and white wine he poured liberally, as he ran back and forth to his tiny kitchen to put the finishing touches on dinner.  So this was adulting? Sweet.

I don’t remember much about the evening, but I’ll never forget the pan-seared pork tenderloin he served, with a mustard cream sauce, alongside roasted red potatoes.  I think there were even profiteroles – profiteroles! – for dessert. We ate around a card table. Aaron had purloined the pork recipe from the Oregon chef, but this was before I cooked very often, so I didn’t ask for a copy.

In the decades since, I’ve tried several recipes for tenderloin and mustard sauce, making adjustments each time, before lighting on this iteration.  Major selling points: it takes less than 30 minutes to prepare from ingredients I usually have in my pantry or fridge.  Easy enough for a weeknight, and snazzy enough for an occasion meal.

Aaron, if you’re out there somewhere, I’m crediting this recipe to you. Thanks for introducing me to the lovely ritual of the adult dinner party.

Aaron’s Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Cream Sauce

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Ingredients

• 24 oz. (approx.) pork tenderloin

• Mustard Cream Sauce

• 1 1/2 Tbs. mustard seeds

• 2 Tbs. butter

• 2 small or 1 large shallot, minced (about 1/4 cup)

• 1/3 cup dry white wine

• 1/3 cup chicken broth

• 1/3 cup heavy cream

• 3 Tbs. grainy mustard

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Directions

• Mince the shallots and set aside.
• Cut the tenderloin into circles of 1″ thickness.
• Press half the dry mustard seeds into tenderloin slices; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Flip slices and repeat.
• Heat large frying pan over medium-high heat; add butter and melt.
• Add tenderloin slices and cook approximately 3-4 minutes, until good sear forms. Don’t move the pieces about, all willy-nilly. Leave ’em be.
• Flip and cook additional 3 minutes. Pork should be just cooked through—a little pinkness is fine. Don’t overcook.
• Remove pork to plate and set aside.
• Take pan off heat, and reduce heat to medium. Add shallots. Cook about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Don’t burn.
• Return to heat. Add the wine to the pan, simmering and scraping up browned bits. Cook one minute; add chicken stock, and simmer 1 more minute.
• Add cream and mustard; simmer and stir until smooth and slightly thick, about 2 more minutes.
• Add pork back to pan and cook until just heated through, about 1 minute.
• Plate medallions and spoon sauce over.

RECIPE FOR PRINT

Aaron’s Grown-Up Pork Medallions

Recipe by Betsy OwensCourse: DinnerDifficulty: Intermediate

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

45

minutes

Cooking time

7

minutes

Ingredients

• 24 oz. (approx.) pork tenderloin

• Mustard Cream Sauce

• 1 1/2 Tbs. mustard seeds

• 2 Tbs. butter

• 2 small or 1 large shallot, minced (about 1/4 cup)

• 1/3 cup dry white wine

• 1/3 cup chicken broth

• 1/3 cup heavy cream

• 3 Tbs. grainy mustard

Directions

• Mince the shallots and set aside.
• Cut the tenderloin into circles of 1″ thickness.
• Press half the dry mustard seeds into tenderloin slices; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Flip slices and repeat.
• Heat large frying pan over medium-high heat; add butter and melt.
• Add tenderloin slices and cook approximately 3-4 minutes, until good sear forms. Don’t move the pieces about, all willy-nilly. Leave ’em be.
• Flip and cook additional 3 minutes. Pork should be just cooked through– a little pinkness is fine. Don’t overcook.
• Remove pork to plate and set aside.
• Take pan off heat, and reduce heat to medium. Add shallots. Cook about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Don’t burn.
• Return to heat. Add the wine to the pan, simmering and scraping up browned bits. Cook one minute; add chicken stock, and simmer 1 more minute.
• Add cream and mustard; simmer and stir until smooth and slightly thick, about 2 more minutes.
• Add pork back to pan and cook until just heated through, about 1 minute.
• Plate medallions and spoon sauce over.