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 treasure 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 completely motionless, bull moose...and he is towering over you from only about ten feet away. (True story. Luckily, that moose wasn't in a trampling sort of 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 gorgeous seasonal color to the table. The garnet red gravy provides a particularly festive contrast against a scattering of chopped rosemary or a few bright sprigs of parsley. (Any verdant green vegetable would also make a lovely addition here.) That said, these deep flavors are a treat throughout the darker months. Whenever you happen to be enjoying it, I recommend a generous scoop of creamy mashed potatoes alongside.
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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
- 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. Then 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. (This usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes.) Allow the sauce to cool before using it in the marinade.
Instructions
Mix together the lingonberry sauce, dijon mustard, and white wine to make the marinade.
Trim the pork, removing the silver skin. Then place the tenderloin in a shallow dish and pour over the marinade. Cover the dish with plastic wrap, transfer to the refrigerator, and let the pork marinate for about an hour.
In the meantime, finely chop the rosemary. (This is also a good time to begin preparing some potatoes for a batch of creamy mashed potatoes to serve alongside.)
Once the pork has been marinated, heat the oven to 350°F. Then 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 (setting aside and reserving the marinade) and sear it on both sides.
After the pork has been well seared on both sides, pour the reserved marinade into the skillet along with the meat and sprinkle the fresh rosemary over the top.
Place the skillet in the oven. Roast the pork for about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on its thickness, or until the internal temperature reaches 145 to 150 degrees F.
When the pork is done, transfer it from the skillet to a carving surface and cover it with foil. Then allow the pork to rest while finishing the gravy.
Place the skillet over medium heat and gently stir the salt and ruby port into the remaining contents of the pan.
Simmer and reduce the mixture until it is thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Finally, taste the gravy for seasoning, adding more salt if necessary.
Slice the pork on the diagonal and serve with the lingonberry gravy spooned over the top. Garnish with a bit more chopped rosemary, if desired.
Hint: When using a commercial lingonberry sauce in this recipe, rather than homemade, the marinade will appear pale pink (rather than bright red) in color. This is normal. And similarly, the finished gravy will then be significantly lighter in hue...but don't be deterred, as it will still taste delicious!
Serving suggestions
- On the Side - mashed yukon gold potatoes are perfect here
- To Garnish - flat leaf parsley (roughly chopped) also 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
Equipment
- 1 oven safe skillet (preferably cast iron)
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 (or 2 small) pork tenderloin about 2 pounds
- 3 tablespoons dijon mustard
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary finely chopped (plus more to garnish, if desired)
- 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, removing the silver skin. (If using one large tenderloin, rather than two small ones, cut in half.)
- For the marinade, mix together the lingonberry sauce, dijon mustard, and white wine. Place the pork in a shallow dish and pour over the marinade. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Once 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.
- After the pork has been seared on both sides, pour the reserved marinade into the pan. Sprinkle the chopped rosemary over the top and place the skillet in the oven.
- Roast the pork for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on its thickness, or until the internal temperature reaches 145° to 150° F. When the pork is done, transfer it from the skillet to a carving surface and cover with foil. Allow the pork to rest while finishing the gravy.
- Place the skillet with its remaining contents over medium heat and gently stir in the salt and ruby port. Simmer and reduce the mixture until thickened, about 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, if necessary.
- Slice the pork on the diagonal and serve with the lingonberry gravy spooned over the top. Garnish with a bit more chopped fresh rosemary, if desired.
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