CEiMB: Peppercorn Pork with Wine Sauce

Hi everyone! So, I’m back today with the latest CEiMB pick, hosted by… ME! For this week, I chose the Peppercorn Pork with Wine Sauce from Ellie’s book The Food You Crave. I will add the original recipe at the end of the post, or you can click over to the Food Network where it is listed as Pork au Poivre.

I chose this recipe mainly because I LOVE black pepper. I put a generous dusting of it on almost every savory dish I cook, and I like to find the flavor in unexpected foods (such as Starbucks Chai lattes, yum!). I also chose this one because it seems like we don’t feature many pork recipes in the CEiMB group and I don’t cook it very often otherwise. I decided this would be a good challenge.

I liked this recipe because it had a short, simple ingredient list and was quick to prepare. Scott really enjoyed it, so much that he ate 2 1/2 servings! I thought there would be leftovers, but for the first time since I joined the group there were none.

The only change I made was to add around 1 T. sugar to the wine sauce because it was a little bit too acidic and bitter for my tastes, but I think that was a result of the wine I used rather than a glitch in the recipe.

I served this with roasted asparagus and mushrooms (which had a nice, earthy flavor that I thought paired well with the pork) and butternut squash casserole. The casserole is a recipe I picked up after a demonstration at Williams Sonoma, and I will post it soon since it has been a huge hit in our family.

I hope everyone in CEiMB enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for letting me host this week!

Peppercorn Pork with Wine Sauce
Serves 4

- One 1 1/4 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed
- 1 t. Dijon mustard
- 1 T. black peppercorns, coarsely ground or crushed
- 2 t. olive oil
- 1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 c. dry red or dry white wine
- salt to taste

Slice the tenderloin open lengthwise, being careful not to cut through to the other side. You want to split the meat into one large, flat piece. Spread the mustard over both sides of the meat and rub in the pepper, pressing gently so it adheres well. Cut the meat across into four even portions.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Put the tenderloin in the hot pan and cook, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 155 degrees F, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the meat to a plate and tent with aluminum foil to keep it warm.

Add the broth and wine to the pan and cook over medium-high heat, scraping up any browned bits that have stuck to the bottom. Continue to cook until the sauce has reduced to about 1/2 cup, 8-10 minutes. Pour the sauce over the meat, season with salt, and serve.