Pommery Pecan Pork Tenderloin

Occasionally we run across those sinfully easy recipes, made glorious by the addition of a special ingredient so wonderfully complex, that the sinfully easy part remains our little secret.


Pommery Mustard is one of those ingredients. It's difficult to open, hard to find in Lexington, and a little pricey. But in the 'ole "desert island scenario," it makes my top ten list.

Pork tenderloin is an extremely versatile cut -- and though it's very lean, it's nice and tender. My five year old calls it "soft meat," and he prefers it over chicken or beef. In the summer, I usually marinate it and throw it on the grill, but with the fall weather finally kicking in, these warmer flavors hit the spot.


Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin, well-trimmed

1 cup pecans, finely chopped (I use a zip lock bag and a meat pounder; the pieces won't be uniform in size but I like a nice rustic texture.)

1/4 cup Pommery Mustard

Drizzle about 2 Tablespoons olive oil into a cast-iron skillet, and place it in the oven. Then, preheat to 475 degrees F.

Using paper towels, get the tenderloin as dry as possible. Coat the meat with the mustard (the back of a spoon works nicely, but I always end up using my hands!), then press the pecans into the meat.

Slide out the oven rack, and place the tenderloin in the center of your hot skillet. (I find this much easier than moving the skillet, but do what's safest for you.)

Roast for 10 minutes, then slide out the rack again and turn the meat over. (I scoop underneath with a spatula while grabbing with tongs to lose less of the coating.)

Roast 5 - 10 minutes longer, depending on the size of your tenderloin and the desired degree of doneness. (Most people like to see a thermometer register at least 140 degrees F., but I pull it out when it hits 135.) Tent with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes, to let those wonderful juices redistribute into the meat.

I was a little impatient:

Some of the yummy coating is bound to come off. I can hardly wait for the pan to cool so I can sneak this "cook's treat":

Happy Fall!