Pork Medallions with Creamy Dijon Sauce

Pork Medallions with Creamy Dijon Sauce make a wonderful midweek supper. Delicious and tender pieces of pork in a rich and creamy sauce.
Its quick and easy to make, simple enough for every day and yet elegant enough for a special occasion! Even a date night if that's on the cards.
Incredibly delicious you can have it on the table in about half an hour's time. You can't ask for much more than that!
Pork Medallions with Creamy Dijon Sauce

It is perfectly sized for just two people, but can very easily be multiplied to serve more if you wish. It would make for very tasty dinner party fare! You can easily dress it up with the sides you choose to serve with it.
Today I served it simply with some fried leftover boiled potatoes and peas and corn. No waste here!
Pork Medallions with Creamy Dijon Sauce

Pork tenderloin is a long, narrow and tender piece of pork that comes from the muscle that runs along the back of the pig. You often see it attached to bone in loin chops. It's that tender juicy nugget on one side of the chop. Need I say . . . my favorite bit.
You will also see it sold as pork fillet. Pork tenderloin is one of the healthiest cuts of pork, and is just as lean as a boneless, skinless chicken breast.
It is the most tender cut of the animal as it is not a working muscle. Its so tender that it lends itself wonderfully to quick cooking and searing. Sauces also go very well.
Pork Medallions with Creamy Dijon Sauce

When I was growing up my mother used to cook pork to death. It was always dry. You could have shingled a roof with her chops and the rain would never have gotten in. Back in those days there was a very real fear of people getting trichinosis from undercooked pork.
Today's pork is much safer to eat, and it no longer has to be cooked until it dries out. Slightly pink is quite safe. So long as the temperature reaches 155*F/68*C or rested to a final 160*F/71*C, it is considered perfectly safe.

WHAT YOU NEED TO COOK PORK MEDALLIONS WITH CREAMY DIJON SAUCE
Good wholesome simple ingredients. There is nothing outrageous here, unless you consider Dijon mustard outrageous. In my kitchen, it is the mustard of preference, especially for cooking.

1 pound (400g) pork tenderloin
1 TBS light olive oil
1 TBS butter, divided
1 shallot peeled and finely minced
1/4 cup (60ml) chicken stock
1 TBS grainy Dijon mustard
1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
salt and black pepper to taste

I use olive oil in my kitchen. I use the light for cooking with the extra virgin for everything else, salads, dipping, etc. For when flavor counts.
Olive oil is considered to be much healthier for you, and is a vital part of the Mediterranean diet.
A bit of oil used along with butter helps you to be able to sear your meat without the butter burning. Butter adds the flavor.
You could use white wine instead of chicken stock. I didn't happen to have any in the house. This makes it even more elegant and adds a lovely depth of flavor.

HOW TO COOK PORK MEDALLIONS WITH CREAMY DIJON SAUCE
Its very simple really. I can be rather lazy you know and simple is what works best for me! I did enough complicated when I cooked at the Manor. In my old age I am taking it easy as much as I can.

Trim any silver skin from the pork and cut it into 4 (2 inch thick) medallions. Press down with the heel of your hand to flatten slightly. Season it on both sides with salt and black pepper.It is really important that you remove the silver skin. It is not like regular fat and will not render itself upon cooking. If you leave the silver skin on when you cook your pork, it will tighten and cause your meat to twist. You can find a wonderful tutorial on how to remove the silver skin from the pork here. It also includes video so that everything is crystal clear.

Heat the oil and half of the butter in a skillet over high heat. When the butter begins to foam add the pork. Cook until nicely browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip over and brown on the other side until the meat is slightly firm to the touch, about 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and keep warm.

Add the remaining butter to the pan. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Cook for about half a minute over medium heat, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the pan.Add the chicken stock and deglaze the pan. Whisk in the cream and Dijon mustard. Simmer over medium heat until smooth and thickened.Return the pork to the pan, along with any accumulated juices. Cook until it is firm to the touch, 2 to 4 minutes. It will still be a bit pink in the middle.Season to taste and serve hot with some of the creamy Dijon sauce spooned over top.

This made for a really delicious mid-week meal for myself. Just because I live on my own that is no reason why I have to feed myself from tin cans or frozen packets. Often cooking from scratch is a lot quicker than heating up a frozen dinner in the oven.
This was lovely. I simply cut the potatoes into thick slices, leaving the peel on. I seasoned them on both cut sides with some salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder. I then fried them in my iron skillet, cut sides down, over medium-high heat in a bit of butter and oil (about 1/2 tsp of each) turning them over once they were browned on one side.
They were done to perfection in about the same time as it took to cook my pork. Frozen peas/corn. Win, win.

Pork Tenderloin is my favorite cut of pork. If you also love it you might enjoy the following recipes as well:

PARMESAN CRUSTED PORK TENDERLOIN - This is a very elegant way to cook pork. The pork is coated with a bit of oil and then rolled in a cheese herb mixture prior to roasting to perfection. A delicious lemon and olive sauce is created to spoon over top. Altogether quite delicious and simple to do.

DIJON, GARLIC AND HERB PORK FILLET - Pork tenderloin is brushed with some Dijon mustard and then rolled in a flavorful garlic and herb mixture before roasting to perfection. Delicious served sliced with an assortment of vegetables on the side. Tender juicy, perfectly cooked pork with a beautifully herby crust! Quick and easy to do, and healthy too!

Yield: 2Author: Marie Rayner