Best-Ever Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

For the pork tenderloin:

• 2 pork tenderloins (about 1 ½ – 2 lbs each), trimmed of any excess fat, as needed
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon whole grain dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

For the dijon cream sauce:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced or pressed
• 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon whole grain dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1–3 tablespoons water, as needed to thin

Instructions

For the pork tenderloin:

1. Prep & season. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Trim any tendrils of fat or leftover membrane (any silver skin) off the tenderloins. Then pat the tenderloins dry with a paper towel. In a small bowl, combine the salt/pepper- to taste, oregano, rosemary, thyme, onion powder, and cumin. Stir the spices together to fully combine. Sprinkle the spice blend over the tenderloins and use your hands to massage the spice blend into the tenderloins until evenly coated. Then set aside.
2. Make glaze. In another bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil, dijon mustard, maple syrup, worcestershire, and soy sauce. Whisk the mixture together to combine and then set aside until called for.
3. Sear pork & glaze. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the tenderloins until golden brown on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. At this stage, you aren’t cooking them through, just searing nicely to lock in moisture and bring out more flavor by caramelizing the outside. Then place the seared tenderloins onto a baking sheet. Brush the prepared glaze mixture over the tenderloins, coating all surfaces.
4. Roast the tenderloins for 15 minutes, then flip them over. Continue roasting for another 15 minutes on the other side- cooking until the tenderloins reach 145° – 150°F when checked using a digital thermometer for doneness. Then take the pork out of the oven and transfer to a cutting board to rest while you whip up the pan sauce.

For the dijon cream sauce:

1. In the same skillet used for searing, heat the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add lemon juice, heavy cream, and dijon mustard. Use a wooden utensil to scrape up any bits along the bottom of the skillet. Let the sauce come up to a gentle simmer, then add the thyme and season with salt/pepper- to taste. Continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes or so until well incorporated. If sauce is too thick, simply thin out sauce with 1 tablespoon of water at a time until desired consistency is reached. Then remove from heat.
2. Serve. Slice the tenderloins into 1-2-inch thick slices and place them on a large platter to serve up family-style. Spoon the pan sauce over the slices. Garnish the platter with fresh herbs for a nice lil’ razzle dazzle touch if you’d like. Serve immediately alongside your favorite side items like mashed potatoes, green beans, or a salad, etc. Enjoy!