Pretty Good Pork

Hubby picked up some pork tenderloins at Costco last week, and I was looking for a flavorful way to prepare them that didn't involve the grill. Here's an sauce that uses fall flavors and is easy to prepare on a weeknight.

Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry Sauce

two pork tenderloins
olive oil
1 large shallot, finely diced
1 cup canned cranberry sauce
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 400.

In a medium saucepan, saute the shallot in a tablespoon of olive oil until it is transparent. Add the cranberry sauce, the chicken stock, the balsamic vinegar, and the rosemary. Bring to a boil and stir to combine. Boil the sauce for 10-15 minutes until it gets syrupy and the stock reduces by half or so.

Meanwhile, liberally salt and pepper the tenderloin. Heat a large, ovenproof saute pan over medium-high heat until it is good and hot. Add a little olive oil and/or butter to the pan. Sear the tenderloin until nicely browned on all sides, 7-9 minutes. Put the saute pan in the oven to finish--it will take 10-15 minutes for the tenderloin to reach at least 155 degrees.

When the meat is done, take it out of the pan and set it aside on a cutting board. Pour the fat out of pan, being careful not to lose the drippings. Put the pan over medium-high heat and add the sauce to the pan. Heat to a boil and continue to reduce until it reaches a consistency you like. Just before serving, whisk a couple of tablespoons of butter into the sauce--this will further thicken and enrich it. Slice the pork and serve napped with the sauce.

Note: This would be even better with leftover homemade cranberry sauce instead of canned.