This is the best pork loin recipe I have ever enjoyed and it will surely turn you in to a pork loin lover, too! Juicy pork combines with a white wine sauce, flavoured with fresh herbs and garlic, for a special and elegant pork dinner.
Why you’ll love this pork loin recipe!
- The herb and wine sauce is so good! (I could drink it!)
- The unique stove-top cooking method produces the most fabulously moist pork loin.
- This pork dinner is always a special meal. It’s perfect for date night, special dinners and for company.
What is a pork loin?
Pork Loin is a solid and lean cut of pork. It has an even thickness throughout its length. Pork Loin can be boneless or bone-in and will often have a bit of fat cap attached to it. This recipe specifies boneless, centre cut pork loin, which is the finest cut from the middle, so it cooks evenly and slices beautifully.
Pork Loin is different from pork tenderloin. It is cut from a different part and is a thinner, longer and uneven thickness, tapering out through the length. As it is a quick-cooking cut, it doesn’t make a great substitute for recipes like this one, as it will likely overcook.
Ingredients you’ll need
Boneless, Centre-Cut Pork Loin – the centre-cut is the best cut of pork loin, with lean pork that cooks and slices up perfectly. The timing of the recipe is for a 2 lb. pork loin, but if yours is a little less or more, you can simply adjust the cooking time accordingly.
White Wine – any wine you like to drink is fine here. Crack open a fresh bottle for this one (you can enjoy the remainder of the bottle with your dinner). If you are looking for recommendations, a Chardonnay is always a good choice. Sauvignon Blanc also works well.
Sage and Rosemary – fresh herbs are highly recommended, but in a pinch, you can use dried.
Cream – heavy, whipping cream is recommended, as it will produce the best flavour and texture in the sauce. If you only have a lighter cream, use the cornstarch slurry detailed in the Recipe card to thicken the gravy, as needed.
Chicken Broth, Garlic and Olive Oil
Step-by-Step Photos
- Start by browning both sides the pork loin in olive oil. Remove to a plate.
- Add the garlic and herbs to the pot and cook briefly before adding the wine.
- Return the pork to the pot.
- Reduce heat and partially cover the pot (don’t cover completely!).
- After 20 minutes, flip the meat and stir the bottom of the pot.
- Check the temperature with each flip, to gauge cooking progress.
- If pot gets dry at any point, add about 1/4 cup of water. Continue cooking, flipping and checking temperature, until pork loin reaches between 140-145F.
- When pork is done, remove to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil.
- To the drippings in the pan, add a splash of wine to loosen.
- Add the chicken broth and stir up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Add the cream and stir in. Simmer gently until reduced and thickened.
- Slice pork thinly. Place on a serving platter and pour sauce over-top.
What to serve with pork loin with wine herb gravy
- A creamy mashed potato (or garlic mashed) is nice with this gravy. Alternatively, buttered egg noodles or wild rice would also be nice. I’ve also thought about gnocchi, which I haven’t tried yet, but feel it would be nice together.
- On the side, broccolini is great (or broccoli) or green beans, would also be perfect.
Reader Review
“I absolutely agree with your very first comment on this recipe ….this truly is the best pork loin recipe I have ever made. I am cooking it for the second time tonight for dinner. I have an overwhelming desire to make tons of extra sauce and put it on everything. Thanks so much!” – Alex
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Seasons and Suppers.
Get the Recipe: Pork Loin with Wine and Herb Gravy
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
- 2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
- 2 lb. boneless, centre-cut, pork loin roast, *see notes
- 1 1/4 cups dry white wine, plus a bit more to deglaze pan
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 35% b.f.
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven (or similar, heavy-bottomed pan) over medium-high heat. *Be sure to use a pot big enough to allow the pork loin to sit flat on the bottom of the pot. Season the pork with a little salt and pepper. Add the pork to the pot, fat side down. *Make sure the oil is hot enough to brown the pork well, as this makes for the best flavour. It may splatter a bit, but worth it! Brown the pork for about 4-5 minutes on each side, then remove it to a plate. In the same pan, lower the heat to medium heat and add the garlic, rosemary and sage. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 45-60 seconds. *Don't allow to burn. Add the wine to the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan. Cook the wine until the smell of the alcohol has disappeared, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Lower the heat under the pan to low-medium heat. Return the pork to the pan and season with a bit more salt and pepper. Partially cover with a lid (Do not cover completely!) and cook for 20 minutes. Flip pork and stir the bottom of the pan. Make sure there is still some liquid in the pan. Return the lid partially covered and cook for 15 minutes, then flip again. Stir bottom and if getting dry, add 1/4 cup of water. Check the temperature of the pork. Return the lid to partially covered and check again in 5-10 minute intervals, flipping, stirring and adding a bit of water, if needed, until the pork registers 140-145F. internal temperature. *For a 2 lb. pork loin, the total cooking time is usually 55-60 minutes.
- When the pork is cooked to the recommended temperature, remove pork to a cutting board to rest and cover with loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil to help retain the heat while it rests.
- Meanwhile, increase the heat under the liquid in the pan to medium. If your pan has little liquid, deglaze with a splash of white wine. Stir well to loosen the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Allow to cook until the alcohol smell disappears (about 1-2 minutes). Add the chicken stock and stir to combine. Heat over medium heat a few minutes, to allow the chicken stock to heat through a bit. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the cream. Heat gently over medium-low heat, stirring the sauce regularly, until it thickens a bit and is warmed through. Avoid vigorously boiling. A gentle simmer is fine. (*The sauce doesn't need to be super thick, just reduced somewhat. If you'd like the sauce thicker, mix 2 Tbsp. cornstarch with 2 Tbsp. water and add a little bit at a time to your sauce until it thickens to your liking.) Taste sauce and add salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste. *If the sauce tastes acidic (wine-y), add more salt to balance the flavour.
- When the sauce is ready, slice the pork very thinly and place on to a rimmed or shallow serving platter. Pour the warm gravy over-top to serve.
Notes
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Just made this for 30 ppl for a funeral dinner at church. Used 3 pork loins that were 4-ish lbs ea. Incredible flavor! Sliced with electric knife after resting and poured gravy over. Served with mashed potatoes, honey roasted rainbow carrots and sauteed green beans with mushrooms and garlic. Wonderful meal that i will continue to make. Thanks for sharing!
Sounds like a wonderful meal, Jill. So glad it was enjoyed :) Thanks!
This looks delicious. I’m going to try this recipe with pork tenderloins. I don’t see anywhere that says how long to cook. What is a rough idea of the cooking time?
Hi Suzanne, I didn’t specify a time for tenderloins since it can vary so wildly, depending on size and how long they were seared etc. That said, I feel like it is probably much less time, somewhere around 30 minutes or even less. A thermometer is best to check. Basically, cook until 140F., however long that takes. All that said, this one is really best suited for larger, thicker pork loin roasts. That’s the cut I always use.
We really enjoyed this dish. I added some mushrooms with the herbs before searing the loin. Turned out great! Might try adding peppercorns to the gravy next time. Awesome recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it, Matt! Thanks :)
Hi – I’m planning to make this recipe, but I only have pork chops. How should I adjust it accordingly? Thanks!
Hi Sarah, this recipe isn’t really intended for a thin cut like a pork chop, the reason being that the chop is almost cooked by the time you finish the searing, so you don’t get the benefits of cooking the meat with the wine etc. That said, if you want to try it, the cooking time after the searing is pretty much 10 minutes or so, depending on the thickness of your chops. You would also need to use less wine, since there is little cooking time for it to evaporate.
I had some problems with this recipe, although it produced a nicely cooked pork loin.
My sauce was very tart, even though I used a wine I drink regularly (and we finished the rest of it that night, so it wasn’t off.)
In the initial step, half of my garlic cloves burned before the pork loin was browned (even on the first side, and even though I had the loin at room temp for 45 minutes before starting it to brown). I took those out, fearing they’d make the ending sauce bitter. Is that normal?
It took more like 10 minutes per side to brown the loin so that it would release from the pan, instead of five.
I like this recipe and will make it again, but don’t know what to do about the sour-tasting sauce. Any tips?
Hi Erin, A couple of things to try … First, re the garlic, try adding it after you have seared the first side of the pork. It will spend less time on the heat and less likely to scorch. As for the “sour” taste, that is undoubtedly the wine. And not that there was anything wrong with your wine, it’s just that the sauce is practically all wine and quite reduced wine, at that, and well, the result is somewhat sour. I don’t mind that taste, but some find it a little too much. I think we’re not necessary used to that much wine in a sauce at first :) It may grown on you or if you’d like, you can simply reduce the amount of wine in the recipe and replace it with the same amount of chicken broth. (You could also try another variety of white wine, just to see if it makes a difference for you.) Hope that helps :)
Wow, amazing recipe! Will be making this again. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it, Nikki! Thanks :)
Do you think this is mostly low carb? I’ve made this and it’s amazing, but not since I’ve been trying to eat less carbs :-)
Hi Ryan, I’m not really well versed in low carb, but I think the only carb here is the wine. So you’ll want to factor that in, since there is quite a bit of it in this dish.
I made this a few weeks ago for company and it was amazing! The only thing I changed was using ginger ale instead of wine.
So glad you enjoyed it, Mary! Thanks :)
This was delicious, especially with the gravy/sauce. I would do the pork tenderloin in the oven next time.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks :)
Do you think it would be possible to do a modified version in a Crock Pot or Instant Pot?
Hi Rei and I did try it as an Instant Pot version. It was a pale version of the original. Not near the depth of flavour of the original. Just can’t duplicate the flavour of browning in an instant pot sadly.
I made this for the first time today and it was a hit. I accidentally brownded a little more than intended but it turnout to be more flavourful!!
So glad you enjoyed it and yes, good browning does make for lots of flavour :) Thanks!
Hi,
I will be having week-end guests and would love to serve them this dish.Is there any possibility that I could prepare at least part of the recipe a day or two ahead and then just reheat it for supper? Any suggestions from you would be much appreciated. Thank you
Hi Irene, this one has to be cooked all in one go, but that said, you can make it ahead by slightly undercooking the meat. Then allow meat to cool. Wrap and refrigerate. Make the sauce from the drippings and store separately. Rewarm meat in foil in moderate oven. Rewarm sauce. Slice meat and serve with sauce. I think you could do that 24 hours ahead. Hope that helps. Enjoy :)
OMG I just made this for dinner! I used a pork loin and cut down to chops and it was amazing! The sauce was so good!!
So glad to hear, Jennifer! Thanks :)
Can you do it in the oven? If so what temperature and for how long? Can do sauce while pork rests.
Hi Jeanne, I have never done it in the oven, but you would need to replicate the stove-top conditions in the oven (partially covered, low simmer of the wine). Whatever temperature achieves that. That said, it really is quite hands-off on the stove-top. Simply let it simmer partially covered and flip it a few times. I really recommend that method if you can.
I made this with a few tweaks. Used lite coconut milk for DF, dry herbs, slightly less wine and bump up broth.
Wow, though. So good! This was my first try from S&S and I’ll be back.
So glad you enjoyed it, Elizabeth! Thanks :)
Thank you!!
i made it today.very yummy and easy
Made this for the first time today and it was amazing! Thank you for the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks :)