If you want easy, I’ve got you covered. If you want simple, got that too. If you want to appear as if you spent some quality time in the kitchen but only have thirty minutes to get something on the table, this one’s for you.
But most importantly, do you want your food to taste like you are eating a sinful meal but you only have 300 calories to spare, yep, you’ve come to the right place.
This is just about the easiest weeknight dinner a person could conjer up. It’s effortless, which is working better for me these days.
These Pork Medallions with Cider Sauce are the perfect Fall meal. The pork tenderloin has such a mild flavor it is the perfect backdrop for the powerful and tangy cider reduction.
This dish screams autumn and it’s low in fat. Imagine that. The sauce is nothing more than apple cider, white wine and apple cider vinegar. Overall, low in calories and big on flavor.
Let’s give it a whirl together…
Here’s all you need: Pork tenderloin, apple cider, white wine, apple cider vinegar, vegetable oil, salt & pepper.
Cut the pork tenderloin into 2″ – thick medallions and season with salt.
Heat 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sear the pork for 5 minutes on each side or until brown. The trick to well-seared meat is resisting the urge to move the meat too soon. The meat will “unstick” when a perfect crust is formed.
Add 1 cup apple cider, 1/2 cup dry white wine and 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar. This will deglaze the pan and release the brown bits stuck at the bottom. Bring to a boil, cover and cook 5 minutes. Remove lid, reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes more. Turn pork occasionally.
Transfer the pork to a plate and season with pepper. Tent with foil to keep warm.
This part is very important. Simmer the liquids until reduced to 1/2 cup. The sauce should be thick and syrupy and should coat the back of a spoon. This could take 10 to 20 minutes depending on your stove and the size the pan you are using. Do not over-reduce, it will scorch.
Spoon the cider sauce over the medallions.
Enjoy your dinner. I served this with a side of wilted spinach and caramelized onions. Mashed potatoes would also be
purr-fect.
Pork Medallions with Cider Sauce
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1-1/2 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut into 2″ – thick medallions
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Salt & Pepper
Cut the pork tenderloin into 2″ – thick medallions and season with salt.
Heat vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sear the pork for 5 minutes on each side or until brown. The trick to well-seared meat is resisting the urge to move the meat too soon. The meat will “unstick” when a perfect crust is formed.
Add apple cider, wine and apple cider vinegar. This will deglaze the pan and release the brown bits stuck at the bottom. Bring to a boil, cover and cook 5 minutes. Remove lid, reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes more. Turn pork occasionally.
Transfer the pork to a plate and season with pepper. Tent with foil to keep warm.
This part is very important. Simmer the liquids until reduced to 1/2 cup. The sauce should be thick and syrupy and should coat the back of a spoon. This could take 10 to 20 minutes depending on your stove and the size of the pan you are using. Do not over-reduce, it will scorch.
Spoon the cider sauce over the medallions and enjoy!
KathyB. says
Eewwwwwwwww, that spider looks too real ! Spiders, my one, true fear. That spider parked on your porch at Halloween would keep me away ! Oh, the pork medallions look yummy too, but the spider factor, almost makes me forget you posted a recipe I will probably try….
Laura says
This is a recipe for ME!!!!
clumbsycookie says
I like the pork, it’s shiny! I’m sure everybody asked you this allready, but where do you keep all this Halloween stuff during non-halloween months?
Christie@fig&cherry says
Fantastic recipe Cathy! Your picture is so delicious and glistening I can taste it all the way from Sydney!
marcy says
oh yummy!
bakingblonde says
That looks so moist and delicious. I love the golden color!
Stephanie says
Love the recipe. I’m always looking for a new pork recipe, and I love the use of the cider. Especially the Martinelli’s. That’s going to be my excuse for buy it. “But honey, don’t you want this delicious pork? Well it won’t be the same with Tree Top cider.”
Fran says
Look delish! We love pork tenderloin, so I can’t wait to try this. Thanks Cathy!
Fran
Laura says
I bet the pork would be really good without the sauce on it … I dont think my animals would like the glaze but, I am thinking this would be good tonight đŸ™‚
Jennifer says
Oooo Cathy…this looks so good! I’m going to make this for dinner some time this week. The glaze sounds delicious!
Mental P Mama says
Having it for breakfast. Yum.
Asthmagirl says
Wow… those tenderloins look great!
Becky says
I will have to try the pork medallions. It looks delicious. Is all that vinegar not overpowering?
The witch, the pumpkins, the witch…
love them. They need to be at my house. tee hee!
Barbie with a T says
For some reason my hubby does not care for pork tenderloin very much, but I bet he would like this recipe! I am going to try it as it looks like something I could whip up without a problem. (I usually stick to simple recipes). Thanks for this one.
Katie says
Those do look delicious and easy! Is the cider sauce sweet? I am always reluctant to cook with apple juice because hubs doesn’t like sweet dishes. Tell me it’s not so I can try this one!
Cathy-wheresmydamnanswer says
That looks so amazing and the fact that it is simple is really a bonus!!
Marjie says
Nice looking pork! I think apple is a perfect flavor to go with pork, and often serve baked apples as a side dish with pork.
Fun House Jennifer says
I’m making this fo’ sho!!
Trisha says
This looks yummy and is simple enough for me to actually try!
Starwoodgal says
Yum! I’m going to make that soon.
tipper says
Simple and delicious-is always nice!
Rachel (S[d]OC) says
Mmm…pork and apples. What a great recipe. I love to see all of these pork recipes.
Flea says
Hungry for pork before 10 AM. Mmmm!
Jeff says
You can never ever go wrong with simple. Some of the best meals I have ever ate were just a couple ingredients long.
ELRA says
Cathy,
I want this meal, especially with only 300 cal? I’ll eat them!
Spider…. yike! Creepy!
Pretty looking witch!
Lori says
simple, simple, simple? AMAZING, AMAZING, AMAZING. You, plus the pork. đŸ™‚
Alisa says
I just so happen to have all those ingredients in my kitchen. Coincidence? Lucky me.
I also think you need to come decorate my house for Halloween.
Familia says
sounds and looks delicious! will have to try!
Cheryl says
YUMMY, that looks delicious!
And if you’re ever seeking some real dust to add to the spooky factor, I can hook you up….
Tammy says
OMG – all of your recipes look so delicious!!
Can I come live with you?
Pam says
I am so excited to try this – I have a tenderloin in the freezer. I love apples with pork so this sauce sounds perfect!
Blond Duck says
I wish Ben ate pork. These would be a great dinner.
Deborah says
I’m a pork tenderloin fan, and this sounds wonderful!
imbeingheldhostage says
YUM. I cannot believe you haven’t run out of halloween stuff to post about yet– you are my idol.
Mike says
That is a beauty of a meal! That pork sounds delicious
Carol says
It’s apple and cider time here in New England, so this recipe is definitely gonna be hitting my table very soon! I already have the pork tenderloin….now all I have to do is make a trip to the orchard for the apples and cider-that’s doable!!!! đŸ™‚
Mz. Nesbit says
Oh! I am making this-this weekend! Yummy
Amber says
What? You took a day off? What did you do without us?
I am going to come visit you for photography lessons, I am not that far, just near Modesto. My pork roast which had apples like yours does not look anywhere as near as beautiful.
Sandie says
These medallions look delightful! I have a real love/hate relationship with pork, but smothered in cider sauce, and I might be feeling a little more love.
krysta says
mmmm… i just went to apple hill and bought a lot of cider… this would be a good use for it.
Tammy says
I gotta try the recipe…it looks nice and moist, nothing worse than dry pork.
Keep the decorations coming…adorable!
Thotlady says
From 1998 to this year (2008) my husband and myself were vegetarians. We just started eating meat again a few months ago. Although we have not tried pork yet. It almost seems to decadent. This looks scrumptious tho.
Oh, and Mary Tyler Moore (aka Mary Richards) can turn the world on with her smile. đŸ™‚
Dr. John says
We may try that this weekend.
Teri says
This looks so delicious! I NEVER make pork of any type because mine always comes out so dry… but this looks so achievable! Your pork looks so juicy! I may just have to try this recipe.
Tarantula…. so creepy, cute, but creepy! Love the pictures!
pam says
What a perfect fall recipe! That picture with the pumpkins in the background needs to be on a magazine cover! Really!
Erin says
oh yum. Congratulations. you have just given me a Craving. LOL.
Karen Deborah says
sorry you couldn’t open the u tubes you would’ve like them. come cook for me please,…..
Debbie in CA : ) says
Yummy AND simple? I love it. I will try this sooooooon.
p.s.
You must have to rent a storage unit to store all that creepy crawly stuff during the more “civilized” part of the year. Pretty icky spider. : O
Kevin says
THat pork looks so tasty! Great photos!
Sandy S says
These medallions look fantastic – and thanks for the tip about when to turn them. The sauce looks simply drinkable!
Laura says
Mmmmm… I love apple and pork.
PookandHouse says
Pork and apple…what a classic combo..
At restaurant, I make pork sauce by reduce 1 gal of apple cider (with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and star anise) by 1/3. Then add chicken or pork stock and reduce it by half. Then add in brown sugar, S&P, and whole grain mustard… really good.
Paula says
Oh man, reading this has me thanking the good Lord for creating the pig. Gosh, I love pork, and your recipe is just fabulous. I know my family, including the picky eaters, would love this. YUM! Love the halloween goodies, too. That plate is wonderful!
Lore says
Delicious yet low fat? Yup that would work perfectly for me đŸ˜€
grace says
methinks you need a separate house to store all your halloween decorations!
meanwhile, pork and apple is a sensational pair, much like tea and scones. and chocolate and peanut butter. and me and joshua jackson. đŸ™‚
Dee says
Oh you know me so well, Cathy. Yes to simple, yes to quick. YES to the 300 calories! Do you think this would work with pork riblets?
Lori says
I love how few ingredients are needed, my kind of recipe!
gorillabuns says
No wonder my stuff sticks to the pan, I always turn it too soon. Except for my fried chicken. Thanks for the reminder.
Liz C. says
Hubby is going to love this recipe! Since cooler weather has arrived, it sounds like the perfect meal.
You just don’t seem old enough to have collected so many wonderful Halloween decorations, but I love them all. I’m a Christmas freak, lol.
chanelireli says
Oh.my.goodness. Can we be friends? can you invite me over for dinner? That looks delicious.
Misty says
Thank You Cathy. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I am going to go & get the ingredients & try this one this weekend for our guests!
Shirley says
What a beautiful meal. I am making that very soon. I’m adding pork chops to my grocery list now.
I like the spider mirror best. đŸ™‚
RobinSue says
Hi Cathy,
I just made this tonight and everyone in my family loved it! A first time for something like that! It was delicious and tender. Thanks for the recipe.
Cassie says
The bowl of Cheerios I had for dinner somehow doesn’t cut it anymore. LOL
Granny Sue says
Wow–we just got our hogs back from the butcher, and we’re making fresh cider almost daily. This is a recipe I’ve got to try. Thanks for posting it.
noobcook says
This recipe is definitely a winner in every sense – looks, taste, healthy and easy to cook! đŸ™‚
claudia (cook eat FRET) says
i’m making this tomorrow
seriously
my guys kids will like it
you had me at 300 calories
bless you
Egghead says
I have pork tenderloin in my freezer just waiting for a recipe like this. I can’t wait to try this.
Foodycat says
Lovely pork recipe! The sauce sounds perfectly balanced between sweet and sharp.
Niall Harbison says
Wow sitting here drooling at this recipe. You caught me at a good time with about an hour before lunch! I like the way that the sauce would help to keep the moisture in the pork because there is so little fat on it and if you cooked it on it’s own it might have a tendency to dru out. The cider is a complete no-brainer when it comes to pork, marriage made in heaven as far as I am concerned!
Courtney says
Another great recipe!! We had it for dinner last night, and it was wonderful! Very easy to make as well.
the Ungourmet says
This is a wonderful dish for autumn! I love the background with all of the pretty gourds/squash.
Love your Halloween decor too! ;0)