Juicy Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Mustard Sauce

sliced pork tenderloin with mustard cream sauce on a platter

4.70 from 10 votes

Juicy Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Mustard Sauce

My gorgeous roast pork tenderloin with creamy Dijon sauce is easy enough for a weeknight dinner, yet elegant enough to join the holiday table. Made extra juicy in an apple cider brine, it's perfectly seared and roasted in the oven, then served with a savory, creamy sauce everyone will be scraping the plate for more of!

Cook Time35

Brine Time2

Total Time2 35

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 707kcal

Author: Eden Westbrook

Equipment

Saucepan for the brine
mixing bowls
large skillet
ball whisk

Ingredients

Apple Cider Brine

4 cups water
2 cups apple cider unfiltered
¼ cup kosher salt
¼ cup soy sauce low sodium
½ cup brown sugar
2 bay leaves
tablespoon black peppercorns
2 teaspoon all spice
Ice cubes

Pork Recipe

2 pork tenderloins about 1½ pounds each
3 tablespoon vegetable oil

Creamy Dijon Mustard Sauce

6 tablespoon cold butter 2 tablespoon separated
3 cloves garlic finely minced
½ shallot finely minced
1 teaspoon pink peppercorns coarsely ground
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves finely chopped
½ tablespoon fresh thyme leaves finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves finely chopped
⅓ cup heavy cream
2 cups chicken broth low sodium
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Brine the Pork

Heat water and apple cider over medium heat in a large saucepan to come to a gentle simmer. Dissolve the salt and sugar and add the other ingredients except the ice.
4 cups water, 2 cups apple cider, ¼ cup kosher salt, ¼ cup soy sauce, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 bay leaves, tbsp black peppercorns, 2 teaspoon all spice
Once the brine comes to a simmering bubble take it off the heat, pour it into a heat-safe mixing bowl, and add the ice cubes to cool it down. Add as many ice cubes as it takes to make the brine stop steaming. Add the pork tenderloins to the brine. cover with plastic wrap, and let brine for at least 1 hour up to 4 hours.
Ice cubes, 2 pork tenderloins

Cook the Pork

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet on the stove top over medium-high heat.
3 tablespoon vegetable oil
Remove the pork from the brine and pat the pork tenderloins dry with paper towels. Season both tenderloins on all sides with salt and sear the pork on all sides, about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Cover the skillet and transfer into the oven; cook for 18-23 minutes, until the temperature reaches 145℉ / 63℃ (if you are wary about pork, 155℉ / 73℃).
2 pork tenderloins
Remove pan from the oven and move the tenderloins to a plate to rest, cover them with foil to keep warm.

Make the Mustard Sauce

Use a pot holder or a silicone pan handle cover (that handle will be hot!) and place the skillet over a medium heat on the stove.
Melt down 4 tablespoons of butter, then add the minced shallot and cook for 3 minutes, stirring well.
6 tablespoon cold butter, ½ shallot
Add the pink peppercorns, minced herbs, both mustards, garlic, and cayenne pepper to the pan. Whisk well. You'll notice that it'll start to thicken up a bit, that's the mustard at work.
3 cloves garlic , 1 teaspoon pink peppercorns, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard, ½ tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, ½ tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves
Splash in a little of the chicken broth and whisk well to get up the fond from the bottom of the pan and loosen up the brown bits from when the pork was cooking. Then add all of chicken broth and heavy cream, whisk well to incorporate them, and let reduce and thicken for about 8 minutes. Taste for seasoning and season with salt as needed.
⅓ cup heavy cream, 2 cups chicken broth, Salt and Pepper to taste
Once the sauce has thickened, whisk in the last 2 tablespoons of butter.
6 tablespoon cold butter
Slice the tenderloins into ½ inch slices, place nicely on a platter and serve with some of the mustard sauce poured over and the rest in a gravy boat or bowl.

Notes

Storage and Reheating

Storage: The pork and the sauce can stay in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheating: Rewarm the sauce on the stove top in a saucepan over medium-low heat, and warm the pork in the microwave or oven at 325 degrees F until warmed through.
Freezing: The pork can be frozen in a freezer-safe zip top bag or in a vacuum sealed bag for up to 3 months. The sauce is NOT freezer-safe since it is dairy-based.

Variations and Pro Tips

Don't overcook it - Overcooked pork is almost as bad as overcooked turkey. Crumbly, dry, and just not the business. When it comes to roasts it's less about the cooking time and more about the temperature. Use a proper thermometer or a probe thermometer to ensure your pork is cooked perfectly.
Bring the pork to room temperature before cooking. As the pork tenderloin cooks, the inside is colder than the outside. Bring it to room temp so that the inside isn't ice cold and ends up rarer than we want.

Ingredient Swaps

Don't have heavy whipping cream? Mix in sour cream instead! It'll add a tangy flavor, but never let it boil or it'll curdle.
No apple cider? Apple cider can only be found in the fall time in many places. Instead of apple cider, try adding sliced fresh apples instead for a flavorful brine any time of the year.
No shallots? Small dice a quarter of a yellow onion instead.

Nutrition