Roasted pork tenderloin pairs wonderfully with this deeply flavorful wild lingonberry gravy. Pleasantly tangy and bright, the flavors in this dish evoke the autumn thrill of treasuring hunting for ripe red berries...and then glancing up from the forest floor to suddenly discover that you are being silently watched by an utterly enormous, yet motionless, moose standing only about ten feet away. (True story. Luckily, the moose wasn't in a trampling mood.) While I originally developed this recipe with a heap of freshly foraged lingonberries, it is equally beguiling when the berries come from a jar.
This dish is a favorite during the holiday season, since it lends some lovely seasonal color to the table. Garnet red gravy with a few sprigs of bright green parsley, or your favorite verdant green vegetable, provides a festive contrast. That said, these deep flavors are a treat throughout the darker months.
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Ingredients for Pork Tenderloin with Lingonberry Gravy
- lingonberry sauce (either from a jar or homemade)
- olive oil
- pork tenderloin
- white wine
- dijon mustard
- fresh rosemary or sage, finely chopped
- ruby port
- kosher salt
See recipe card for quantities.
Making homemade lingonberry sauce
If you are using foraged berries instead of sauce from a jar, first you will need to make them into a sauce. This process is very simple. Just put the lingonberries in a small saucepan with the sugar and water. Place the pan over medium heat.
Bring the lingonberry mixture to a boil and then turn it down to a gentle simmer. Cook until the mixture has melded into a thick sauce and most of the berries have popped. This usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Let the sauce stand to cool for a bit before using it in the marinade.
Instructions
Mix together the lingonberry sauce, dijon mustard, and white wine. Then pour it over the pork. Cover the dish with plastic wrap, transfer to the refrigerator, and let the pork marinate for about an hour.
Pictured here is a batch of marinade made with lingonberry sauce from a jar.
Just for purposes of visual comparison, pictured here is a batch of marinade made with homemade lingonberry sauce, which will be much more vivid in color.
After the pork has been marinated, place an oven safe skillet over medium heat and pour in a little olive oil. When the pan is good and hot, remove the pork from the marinade and sear it on both sides, reserving the marinade.
Again, just for purposes of visual comparison, pictured here is pork that was removed from a batch of marinade made with homemade lingonberry sauce. If you use freshly foraged berries, the pork will appear shockingly hot pink before it is roasted.
After the pork has been well seared on both sides, pour the reserved marinade into the skillet along with the meat.
Sprinkle the fresh rosemary or sage over the pork and its marinade before placing the skillet in the oven. Roast the pork for about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of your tenderloin, or until the internal temperature reaches 145 to 150 degrees F.
When the pork is done, remove it from the skillet and cover with foil while you finish the gravy. Place the skillet over medium heat and gently stir the ruby port into the remaining contents of the pan. Simmer and reduce this mixture until it is thickened, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Finally, taste the gravy for seasoning, slice the pork on the diagonal, and serve.
Serving suggestions
- On the Side - mashed yukon gold potatoes are perfect here
- To Garnish - flat leaf parsley (roughly chopped) provides a lovely bit of freshness and color contrast
- To Drink - Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, or Beaujolais.
Equipment
A medium sized cast iron skillet is always my pan of choice here, but any oven safe skillet will do.
Storage
Leftovers will last for 2 to 3 days refrigerated.
📖 Recipe
Pork Tenderloin with Lingonberry Gravy
Ingredients
- 1 cup lingonberry sauce either from a jar or made from 2 cups of foraged lingonberries combined with ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large pork tenderloin
- 3 tablespoons dijon mustard
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary or sage finely chopped
- ½ cup ruby port
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- If not using lingonberry sauce from a jar, place the foraged lingonberries in a small saucepan with the sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until thickened into a sauce.
- Trim the pork tenderloin, removing the silver skin, and cut it in half.
- For the marinade, mix together the lingonberry sauce, dijon mustard, and white wine. Place the pork in a dish and pour over the marinade. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
- After the pork has marinated, heat the oven to 350°F. Place an oven safe skillet over medium to medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the pan is good and hot, sear the pork well on both sides, setting aside and reserving the marinade.
- When the pork is golden brown, pour the reserved marinade into the pan. Sprinkle the rosemary or sage over the top and place the skillet in the oven.
- Roast the pork for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of your tenderloin, or until the internal temperature reaches 145° to 150° F. When the pork is done, remove it from the skillet and cover with foil while finishing the gravy.
- Place the skillet with its remaining contents over medium heat and stir in the ruby port. Simmer and reduce the mixture until thickened, about 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve.
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