So Many Dishes

Before I started keeping menu journals, I sometimes wrote the date we tried a new recipe in the cookbook where I found it. Sometimes I’d add a comment, and occasionally the number of Weight Watchers points for a serving. The recipe for pork tenderloin with mushroom sauce has. All three notations. The comment I included, when I first tried the dish in February 2016, was “YES!!”

I found this recipe in the 2013 annual Cooking Light compilation. It has been a favorite way to cook pork tenderloin. In fact, we made this for Christmas dinner a few years ago. I think it says something, too, that I’ve never made any changes to the recipe as written. Okay, I take that back. I tend to be generous with the sour cream. But, given how much Ken and I like saucy dishes, are you surprised?

One thing I’ve learned not to skip is heating the pan in which you plan to roast the pork while the oven is preheating. I use my enameled cast iron skillet for this dish, and there’s a certain satisfaction to hearing the meat sizzle when you add it to the pan. I depend on my instant read thermometer to cook the tenderloin to the correct temperature. The meat rests while the sauce gets put together, so it’s important to have all the ingredients organized.

Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Sauce

• 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup (or more) sour cream (reduced fat sour cream works fine)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Place roasting pan in oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Sprinkle pork evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan and swirl to coat. Add pork to pan and roast 20 to 25 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of pork registers 145 degrees, turning after 10 minutes. Remove pork from pan and let stand, covered.

Place pan over medium-high heat. Add remaining tablespoon of oil to pan and swirl to coat. Add mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 1 minute or until the liquid almost evaporates. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and broth; bring to a boil. Cook about 5 minutes, until liquid has reduced to approximately 1/2 cup. Remove from heat, and stir in sour cream and mustard.

Cut pork crosswise into slices. Serve with sauce, and garnish with chopped parsley. Serves 4.

Ken requested cauliflower for a side. I usually serve this with noodles, but I found some bake-at-home rosemary focaccia when I was in Publix, and that worked nicely. It was kind of a monochrome meal, but a tasty one.

Happy eating!