What’s for dinner at your house? Not every meal at my house is gourmet, or taste like it took hours to prepare. Let’s be real. Sometimes it has to be quick and easy. What a celebration when those two opposing ideas meet!
Roxanne and I have been especially busy lately. We leave for Chicago to work the International Home and Housewares Show this week. In addition, in the last 2 or 3 weeks, we appeared on KSHB TV Kansas City Live (follow the link and you can get the recipe for Chipotle Chicken Tacos from our new book,) did a newspaper interview and made a video of our cake mixes and taught 3 different cooking classes. We are grateful to have these opportunities to share more about our new book, The Newlywed Cookbook and our slow cooker cake mixes, and it is very exciting, but sometimes, dinner at home takes a back seat to what is going on. Do you ever feel that way?
For me, quick and easy meets great tasting most often when I begin with pork tenderloin. They are lean and tender and cook quickly, but typically they are not as expensive as other tender cuts of meat. It is often the answer to the “what’s for dinner” question at my house.
I finally have shaken my mom’s order to cook pork until it is done (now read that dry and over cooked.) I grew up in that era when pork wasn’t fit to eat until fried to a crispy, boot leather doneness. Now, it can be served pink and I love it. Just use a meat thermometer and roast the pork until the internal temperature reaches at least 145⁰F (I prefer about 150⁰F. but the lower temperature is safe) then cover the meat and allow it to stand a few minutes. It is great.
It is funny how some meat cuts are winter favs, and others I prepare in the spring or summer. I just realized that this is one cut that pops up on my menus year round. It is just the preparation that varies. So, here is a fun, tasty winter recipe! Stay tuned and keep reading for I will definitely post summer recipes when the weather turns warm and I have faith that will occur someday.
Rosemary Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Wine Sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 to 1-1/4 pounds)
Mushroom Wine Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil, optional
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1-1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
Preheat oven to 400⁰F.
Combine garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper and olive oil.
Heat a heavy, oven-safe skillet over medium high heat. Place pork tenderloin in the skillet. Drizzle with olive oil mixture and brush to cover the meat. Cook just until pork is browned, turning to brown evenly.
Leave the pork in the hot skillet, and carefully transfer the hot skillet to the oven. Bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the meat reaches 145⁰ to 150⁰ F. Remove skillet from oven. Remove meat from skillet and place on cutting board. Cover meat with aluminum foil.
Place skillet on burner over medium heat. If necessary, add additional oil to the skillet. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently for 3 to 4 minutes. (Stir up any browned bits of meat left in the skillet for they impart a lot of flavor.) Stir in mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and moisture has evaporated. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook 30 seconds.
Stir in the flour and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute, taking care to moisten and blend all flour into the drippings. Stir in the wine and broth. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture bubbles and thickens. Reduce heat and cook, stirring constantly 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened and slightly reduced.
Slice the pork tenderloin crosswise into thick medallions. Arrange pork in a deep platter and top with sauce.
Makes 4 servings
Pork, mushrooms, and wine? You are speaking my love language! I’ve been looking for a new recipe that uses white wine.
It is a great flavor combo–and the white wine is a perfect addition. Enjoy!