Pork Tenderloin in Thyme and White Wine Cream Sauce (Revisited)

This recipe is actually a repeat of a post I did back in January. Looking back at my older posts, the ones before I actually knew how to take a proper food photo, makes me cringe. Awkward angles, terrible lighting, suspect plating – just not good. I’m not trying to say every picture I post now is an absolute home run, but my standards have raised at least a little bit. Also, no longer do I share posts without recipes. I always included a link to the original creator of the recipe, and I’d mention little adaptations I’d made, but I now recognize that isn’t good enough. The more I explore the food blogosphere, the more I understand what people appreciate and come to expect.

So with my wife being away for two nights, and wanting to show just how excited I am that she’s back home, I made one of her favourites. Originally posted back on January 24th, this dish is one of her all-time favourites. I’ve made it three or four times now, with little adjustments each time, and I think I’ve finally got it down to a science. The original recipe I used called for altogether too much salt (I adjusted to 3/4 of that amount the second time, then 1/2 of that amount the third time around) and didn’t have any suggested cooking times. Obviously cooking times for meat can vary slightly, but I’ll be providing at least a good ballpark number so you aren’t left Googling “pork tenderloin cooking times” and crossing your fingers that it doesn’t come out too dry.

My wife has recommended this recipe to one of her coworkers, and he’s now made it a couple of times with great success. Actually, this recipe is quite dear to my heart because of that. Anytime I can influence somebody to make a dish, and then they go back to it again because they like it so much…well…that’s what makes this worth all the trouble. If I can lead people towards awesome home-cooked dinners, and encourage men otherwise uncomfortable in the kitchen to create something tasty for themselves, then I’ll be more than happy.

You can find a link to the original recipe on my previous post for this dish. While you’re at it, feel free to laugh at how terrible my first attempts at food photography were. I think I’m going to eventually remove all of my old posts, once I’ve made each of those dishes again and snapped nicer photos. Until then, I guess they serve as a reminder of progress made. Anyways, on to the recipe!

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Pork Tenderloin in Thyme and White Wine Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 – 1 lb pork tenderloins, fat trimmed away
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup cream (33-36%)
• fresh chopped parsley for serving
• vegetable oil (optional)

Directions:

• combine the mustard, salt, pepper and thyme together and mix well. Rub evenly onto the tenderloins.
• On a skillet over medium heat, brown all sides of the tenderloins. If your skillet isn’t non-stick, add a tbsp. or two of vegetable oil before browning the meat. (My skillet isn’t non-stick, but I skipped the vegetable oil and it wasn’t an issue.)
• Add the wine to the skillet, pouring over the tenderloins. Toss the skillet in an oven pre-heated to 350° F for 25 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and check for doneness with a meat thermometer. If the temperature registers between 145-160°F, the meat is cooked. If not, throw back in the oven for a few more minutes and monitor closely. (Alternately, if you like your pork a bit on the pink side, take the skillet out after about 22 minutes and check for doneness then.)
• Set the meat aside to rest, then add the cream to the skillet. Bring to boil, then let simmer for a few minutes so that the sauce reduces and thickens a bit, stirring occasionally.
• Slice the tenderloins and serve the meat alongside your choice of pasta, pouring the sauce overtop and garnishing with the parsley.
  

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