This pork tenderloin is doused in a gorgeous rosemary dijon sauce and couldn’t be easier to make!
This is one of those dinners that looks and sounds kinda fancy, but in reality, it’s so simple to make. Plus you only need a handful of ingredients! Follow me…
Pork Tenderloin
Pork tenderloin (also sometimes known as ‘pork fillet’) is such an underrated cut of meat. It’s so versatile and takes on so many gorgeous flavours. We’ll get to the mustard cream sauce in just a sec, but first, let’s talk tenderloin.
Tips for Preparing Pork Tenderloin
- Room temp – As with most meats, I recommend bringing the pork close to room temp before cooking. This will relax the meat and help it cook through more evenly.
- Trim – I tend not to trim the fat unless there’s a large amount. Sometimes it’ll have silver skin, which I recommend trimming, but it’s not a deal-breaker if you don’t.
- Season – Season well them season again! I typically use around 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper PER tenderloin.
Cooking Pork Tenderloin
When it comes to cooking the pork, I highly recommend frying then finishing it off in the oven. If you just fried the tenderloin it’s going to be tough and chewy by the time the centre cooks, and if you just baked it you miss out on caramelizing the outside. By frying first, you get to colour the meat and also build up a flavour crust in the pan. Finishing in the oven allows you to cook through the centre to perfection, without the pork drying out.
Resting the Pork
Once it’s cooked, it’s important to let it rest to one side. If you slice right away the juices are going to pour out. Resting the meat allows it to retain its juices and stay nice and soft.
Process shots: lay pork on chopping board (photo 1), season (photo 2), fry all over (photo 3), bake (photo 4).
Rosemary Mustard Sauce
Whilst the pork rests, you’ve got the perfect opportunity to whip up a sauce in the same pan. As the pork cooks in the pan, it’ll transfer some flavour to the pan, which translates to char and golden bits stuck to the pan. This is free extra flavour, so don’t waste it!
Mustard Cream Sauce Ingredients
- Garlic – An extra flavour booster.
- Rosemary – This pairs amazingly with both mustard and pork. Make sure it’s fresh!
- Chicken Stock – This is perfect to deglaze the pan.
- Cream – Must be heavy (US) or double (UK)!
- Dijon – This not only adds the main punch of flavour, but it’ll also help thicken the sauce.
One thing I also like to add to the sauce is the resting juices from the pork. As the meat rests, you’ll see a small pool of juice form around it. Again, this is free flavour, so don’t waste it!
Process shots: fry garlic and rosemary (photo 1), deglaze with stock (photo 2), add cream and dijon (photo 3), add resting juices and simmer to thicken (photo 4).
Creamy Mustard Pork Tenderloin FAQ
What is the safe internal temp of pork?
The safe internal temp of pork is now 145F/63C, which will result in the pork having a blush of pink. I highly recommend using a thermometer to cook the pork perfectly.
How strong is the sauce?
The mustard is definitely there, but it should be overpowering, especially not when eaten with the pork. You can increase the amount of dijon slightly if you’d like. I just recommend starting conservatively!
Can I use different herbs?
I love rosemary in this recipe, but thyme and tarragon also work nicely. Do try rosemary first though, then branch out after and experiment if you’d like to.
Serving Pork Tenderloin and Mustard Sauce
After the pork has rested, I recommend slicing it into wedges (I like them around 3/4″ thick). From there, drizzle over the sauce like there’s no tomorrow! I usually serve with Mash and Green Beans, but Roasted Potatoes and your fave veg will work just great.
After another pork tenderloin recipe? Check out my Stuffed Pork Tenderloin!
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this creamy mustard pork tenderloin shall we?!
How to make Creamy Mustard Sauce with Pork Tenderloin (Full Recipe & Video)
Pork Tenderloin and Creamy Mustard Sauce
Equipment
- Large Oven-Safe Skillet & Tongs
- Wooden Spoon
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Meat/Instant Thermometer
Ingredients
- 2x 1lb/500g Pork Tenderloins, brought close to room temp (see notes)
- 3/4 cup / 180ml Heavy/Double Cream, at room temp
- 1/2 cup / 120ml Chicken Stock
- 1.5 tbsp Dijon Mustard (see notes)
- 2 tsp very finely diced Fresh Rosemary
- 2 cloves Garlic, very finely diced
- Olive Oil, as needed (1-2 tbsp)
- Salt & Black Pepper, as needed (approx 1 tsp EACH to season pork)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C/390F. Generously season the pork tenderloins all over with salt & pepper.
- Heat a drizzle of oil in a large oven-safe skillet over high heat. Sear the pork tenderloins until lightly golden all over (around 5mins total).
- Transfer skillet to the oven and roast the pork for 12-14mins, or until the thickest part reaches 145F/63C. This will leave the pork with a blush of pink. Remove tenderloins and place on a large plate to one side to rest. Place skillet back over a medium heat.
- Add garlic and rosemary to the skillet and fry for a minute or so (careful the garlic doesn’t burn). Add in the stock and use your wooden spoon to scrape off any flavour in the base of the skillet. Once the stock reduces by around half, pour in cream, then stir in dijon and simmer until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Once the pork has been resting for 5mins, pour in any resting juices into the sauce, then simmer for another minute or so until it re-thickens. Check for seasoning and adjust if needed.
- Slice pork (I like around 3/4″ portions) then drizzle over sauce and enjoy!
Video
Notes
b) Cooking Pork Tenderloins – Safe internal temp of pork is now 145F/63C, which will look a touch pink. If you want it completely without pink, I recommend adding another couple of mins to the cooking time, to reach around 67-68C/152-154F. It’s difficult to give exact timings as pork tenderloins always differ quite a lot in thickness and ovens will run slightly differently, so I recommend using a thermometer. In all cases, I’d stay on the side of caution and pull it out early to check, as you can always carry on cooking, but it’s hard to revive overcooked pork!
c) Mustard – I find 1.5 tbsp hits the sweet spot as it offers a good hit of mustard flavour, but it’s not too overbearing, especially when the sauce is eaten with the pork. You can increase slightly if you’d prefer, but definitely start off with 1.5 tbsp and see how you get on.
d) Rosemary – This goes amazingly with both pork and mustard. Definitely make sure it’s fresh! You can experiment with other herbs (thyme and tarragon both work amazingly) but go with rosemary first.
e) Sauce – The sauce will thicken, so have faith. Just continue simmering as needed and keep in mind it’ll thicken more as it rests.
f) Servings – Here I’ve served with Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes, but any sort of carb & veg combo will do the trick.
g) Calories – Just the pork and sauce with no sides and shared between 4 (assuming 1.5 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp salt & pepper).
Nutrition
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