While trying to figure out what to do for Sunday dinner I looked through a copy of my mother’s recipe books and found one for pork tenderloin with a mustard/port cream sauce. Didn’t have any tenderloins but I did have a 2-1/2 lb chunk of pork loin in the freezer. So I improvised. The original recipe called for roasting until the internal temp hit 155°F. Must have been an old recipe from some magazine when everyone overcooked pork beyond recognition where you needed a thick juicy sauce to moisturize the meat. I adjusted the temp down to reflect modern times where pinkish pork doesn’t scare us as much as it used to. Sunday dinner tonight was: mustard crusted pork loin with braised brussels sprouts and roasted potatoes.
Mustard Crusted Pork Loin with Port Wine Cream Sauce
- 2-3 lb pork loin
- ½ C Dijon mustard
- Flour for dredging
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- 4 Tbs butter
- ½ C minced shallots
- ¾ C port
- ½ C heavy cream
- Salt and pepper
Pre-heat oven to 450°F. Season pork loin with salt and pepper, then coat with mustard. Dredge mustard coated loin in flour.
On med-high heat stove burner, heat oil with 2 Tbs of butter in an ovenproof sauté/braising pan. Sear the pork loin on all sides until a golden crust forms. Place in oven and roast until cooking thermometer reads between 135-140°F.
Remove loin from pan and let rest 10-15 mins. Place pan back on med-high heat stove burner, add 1 Tbs butter and brown shallots. Add port wine and simmer, reducing by half. Whisk in cream and remaining butter.
Slice loin, pour sauce over pork, and serve.
The Roaming GastroGnome 