Tony Zentgraf
Pork pairs well with Gain Mustard. As an ingredient in a pan sauce it adds a tangy earthiness to the sauce. Depending on the brand of grain mustard, the flavor profile can vary from spicy to tangy.
In this recipe I used a German style grain mustard. It brought a great acidic nature to the sauce with a bit of a bite of spice from the mustard.
This sauce also goes well with a pork chop or as a sauce for a smoked or roasted pork loin.
Mustard from Seed to Jar
Asian Origins
Researching mustard and where it originated from, once again like other foods, it has origins in several countries. But mustard greens and a yellow paste type of mustard was used in China as early as 1000 BCE.
Mustard seeds have a history in Indian curries, they are often sauteed whole in oil and the seeds will pop, adding to the flavor profile of Indian cuisine.
French Mustard
French Dijon Mustard is well known, and many of the grain mustards I have found on the shelves in grocery stores are either a variation on a dijon or may even say dijon with grain mustard. But there are some differences in how grain mustard is made compared to dijon.
France regulates how dijon is made to keep their style of mustard consistent within the country. But with whole grain mustard there isn’t an exact recipe that is held as a standard.
Some distinct differences between the two, dijon uses white wine with vinegar or instead of vinegar where grain mustard uses only vinegar.
Different Varieties of Grain Mustard
Grain Mustard uses brown or black mustard seeds instead of yellow seeds. Grain mustards are often times partially ground to add to the mustard style paste it may have. There are grain mustards that do not grind the seeds and give a look and flavor to the mustard.
This recipe calls for grain mustard but if you don’t have it in the refrigerator, dijon can be substituted but the addition of the mustard seeds in the sauce is a nice addition.
Not to mention, the flavor differences between dijon and grain mustard influence the flavors of the final dish.
I suggest you pick up a jar to keep in the fridge for a quick pan sauce that not only goes well with pork but would make a nice addition to a roasted chicken.
Enjoy!
Seared Pork Tenderloin Medallions & Grain Mustard Pan Sauce
Print RecipeRecipe Multiplier
Prep for Pork Tenderloin
- 1 ea Trimmed Pork Tenderloin cut into 1 – 1 ½" medallions
- ½ cup Flour
- 2 tsp Black Pepper
- 2 tsp Kosher Salt
Prep for Pan Sauce
- 1 ea Shallot minced
- 2 tbsp Garlic minced
- 1 tsp Dry Thyme
- 1 tbsp Grain Mustard
- 1 cup White Wine
- 1 cup Chicken Stock
- Season to taste with Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch or Beurre Manie as a thickener
Instructions
Pork Tenderloin Preparation
- Trim the silverskin and fat from the pork tenderloin.
- Cut the pork tenderloin into 1- 1 ½" medallions
- Combine the flour, salt & black pepper on a plate.
- Dredge the pork tenderloin medallions in the flour mixture. Set them aside until ready to cook.
Preparation for the Pan Sauce
- Mince the shallot and garlic.
Cooking the Pork Medallions
- Heat 3 Tbl of vegetable oil in a saute pan over high heat.
- Sear the pork medallions in the pan. Don't cook the pork all the way, it will finish cooking in the sauce. Brown the pork on the first side. Flip and brown on the second side.
- Remove the pork from the pan and reserve.
Making the Pan Sauce
- Add the shallots to the pan with the remaining oil from cooking the pork. Cook over a medium heat, it is ok to get some browning on the shallots.
- Add the garlic and saute to release aroma.
- Add the grain mustard and saute the mustard. Combining with the shallots and garlic. Cook for about a 30 seconds to a minute.
- Add the dry thyme.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine scraping up any bits.
- Reduce the wine by 2/3.
- Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
- Add the pork medallions to complete cooking in the sauce.
- Once the pork reaches an internal temperature of 135° remove form the sauce. Pork will carryover cok to reach 140° as it rests.
- Reduce the pan sauce by 1/2.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Thicken to sauce consistency with your choice of thickening agent.
