Chef notes
Pork has a bad reputation, largely due to the "cooking sins" of my parents' generation — mainly overcooked pork loins. But tenderloins, the "filet mignon" of pork, are so easy to make, very versatile and stand up super well to sauces.
Technique tip: Season pork with salt a day or at least a few hours in advance. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate. Bring pork to room temp (or close to) before cooking.
Swap option: You can make this same recipe with filet mignon if you prefer beef. Easy to adjust heat with chiles. Any onions in lieu of shallots.
Ingredients
- 2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins
- kosher salt
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 shallots, quartered
- 1 Fresno chile (or jalapeno or red chile)
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- pepper mix (1 part black peppercorns and 1 part pink peppercorns, ground; optional)
- chopped parsley, to garnish (optional)
Preparation
1.In advance (1 hour to 1 day), season pork tenderloin with salt. Refrigerate if marinating overnight.
2.Heat your skillet or pan over high heat (open some windows, it may get a bit smoky!).
3.Coat the room temperature tenderloin with oil and add to cast-iron pan, allowing all sides to brown but turning and flipping often. After about 7 to 8 minutes, tenderloin should be well-browned and have an internal temperature of 150 F.
4.Transfer pork to cutting board to rest.
5.Add shallots to the skillet, cut-sides down, and let them char a bit before adding chile and garlic. Allow to cook for 10 minutes or so before adding maple syrup and butter. Stir to combine.
6.Slice pork and place back into skillet or spoon sauce over top. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with parsley, if using.
