One-Pan Pork Tenderloin with Mushrooms
Since I am the matriarch foodie in the family, I am usually the one who passes along must-make recipes to my kids. Last week, one of my sons-in-law sent along this recipe for pork tenderloin saying it was really great and that I needed to put it high on my list. He didn’t have to tell me twice!
With a minimum of effort, you will be rewarded with a restaurant quality meal. The pork was tender and deliciously savory, and the mushrooms were utterly delicious. Make some mashed potatoes or couscous as a side and spoon the tasty pan drippings over them. A green vegetable or salad is a nice accompaniment. Enjoy…
One-Pan Pork Tenderloin with Mushrooms
Ingredients
Yield: 2 to 3 servings
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- Salt and pepper
- 1 pork tenderloin (1 to 1 1/4 pounds), silver skin removed (see Notes), meat halved crosswise and patted dry
- 3 tbl. extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 oz. mixed mushrooms, torn into 1-inch pieces (I bought some button mushrooms on sale and just quartered them.)
- 2 tbl. unsalted butter, sliced
- 2 tsp. red vinegar or red wine for deglazing pan (white wine vinegar works, too)
Directions
Heat the oven to 425o F.
Pluck 1 tablespoon leaves from the rosemary sprigs (reserve the rest). Using a mortar and pestle or knife and cutting board, combine the rosemary leaves, 3 garlic cloves, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pound or chop until a coarse paste forms. Season the pork with salt, then coat with the garlic-rosemary mixture. (You can season and refrigerate the pork up to 8 hours ahead.)
Heat the oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high. Add the pork and scatter the mushrooms around (skillet might be snug—I used my 12” cast iron pan, and there was plenty of room). Sear until browned underneath, 4 to 5 minutes. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and add the butter, remaining garlic clove, and the reserved rosemary sprigs. Flip the pork, stir the mushrooms, and spread them to fill the skillet. Roast, stirring the mushrooms halfway through, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork registers between 140 and 145o F, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Transfer the pork to a cutting board to rest at least 5 minutes. Stir the vinegar (or red wine) into the mushrooms and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Thinly slice the pork and serve with the mushrooms, spooning the pan drippings over top.
Notes
To remove the silver skin, a tough connective tissue, without cutting off too much meat, locate the white, shiny membrane and insert your knife at one edge of the silver skin to cut between the skin and the meat, creating a flap to hold onto. Using a paper towel, pull the flap of silver skin tight with your nondominant hand, continue to slice along the length of the skin until you’ve removed and released all the silver skin.
Source: A New York Times recipe