Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic-Cranberry Sauce

Recipe from  Bon Appétit  | November 1998


I served this dish for Linda’s birthday dinner along side mashed potatoes, a Roasted Pear Salad and a Carrot Cauliflower Medley and for dessert, Maple Pumpkin Custards. 

The sauce is delicious with just a hint of sweetness that goes perfectly with the pork.

Reviewers from Epicurious also made this substituting the cranberry sauce with cherry preserves.  The husbands and wives at the table loved this and deemed it blog worthy. I think next time I make the sauce, I'll serve it with roasted chicken breasts.  Get your ingredients at Lost River Market & Deli, our community-owned grocery store.

 

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 (16 oz.) pork tenderloin (bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts would make a good substitute)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 cup chopped onion or sliced shallots

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 Tablespoon dried

1 cup chicken broth

2/3  cup canned whole berry cranberry sauce

2 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 450°F. Melt 1/2 of the butter in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Sear pork on all sides, about 2 minutes. Place the skillet with pork in oven. Roast pork until thermometer inserted into center registers 155°F (160° F if using chicken), about 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt remaining butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion (or shallots) and rosemary. Sauté until onion (or shallots) softens, about 3 minutes. Add broth, cranberry sauce and vinegar and whisk until cranberry sauce melts, about 2 minutes.

Transfer pork to work surface. Scrape any juices from large skillet into cranberry mixture. Boil until sauce has reduced enough to coat spoon thickly, about 6 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Slice pork and serve with sauce.