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
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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!
This is hands down the best pork recipe I have ever made. That sauce is incredible! Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it, Brittany and it’s my favourite too :)
Very good! Didn’t have rosemary so I used thyme, and since I’m trying to be dairy-free I used coconut milk. Served over rice. Tastes very similar to a beef stroganoff sauce that I make, another sauce which I could eat like soup!
Glad you enjoyed it, Karla.
This is cooking on the stove as I type and it smells heavenly! Our garlic did get a bit burnt so we pulled it out and added more when we put the pork back in. I used a Chenin Blanc, so hope it tastes good. Can’t wait! Will let you know how it turns out!!
Do enjoy, Kristin. I wish I could bottle that smell :)
My wife just made the Pork Loin with Herb & Wine gravy and it was phenomenal! 10/10 The gravy was just delicious. We just discovered your website and love these recipes. If you’ve not considered making a book, you should – we’d totally buy it. Working our way through some other recipes now to figure out what next to make. Well done Jennifer!
So glad you enjoyed it, Simon and thanks! Happy cooking :)
I made this last night, and it was unbelievably delicious! I used tenderloin and it shot to 160° in a half hour! Wow, I can’t wait to do it again. Really fantastic!
Glad you enjoyed it, Scott and wow, half an hour! That’s a quick dinner :)
This was amazing! The hubs says best pork ever. And I couldn’t find fresh sage ANYWHERE! So used dried. I can’t imagine how good it would be with fresh!!
So glad you enjoyed it, Brandy and glad it was still as nice with dried sage. (That always happens to me, btw – just when I go looking for an herb, it’s suddenly no where to be found! :)
My boyfriend and I made this last night and it turned out awesome! We added mushrooms and served it over egg noodles.
So glad you enjoyed it, Bri. Sounds delicious!
Could I possibly roast this in the oven instead of on the stove ? If so do you have any instructions? This looks delicious !
Hi Jessica, You don’t really say why you don’t want to cook it on the stove-top, but this recipe is not really roasting. It’s more of a poaching. That said, you could try to duplicate the effect by partially covering the pan in the oven with a lid or tin-foil, then finishing on the stove-top once the pork is done.
My husband and I aren’t really pork eaters (except for bacon, which doesn’t count lol) so I was wondering if you thought this would be good with chicken thighs?
Hi Tricia, You could try it with thighs, although I might be more inclined to try bone-in/skin-on chicken breasts. That said, I have to tell you that I served this dish at a dinner party a while back and one of the guests thought it was chicken. Honestly, when the pork is cooked this way, it is so white and tender, it’s really hard to tell it’s pork. It might change your mind about being pork eaters ;)
One of the best things I’ve cooked in a long time!!! For heavens sake, invest in a dutch oven :) Steamed broccoli and potatoes, awesome!
Glad you enjoyed it, Gina and I agree … everyone should have a Dutch oven :)
O…M…G! This was amazing! I made it with turkey tenderloin instead, and served it with a side of escarole & white beans. Delicious. This will most definitely enter our dinner rotation. Thanks for the great recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it, Leanne. Love the turkey idea! Skin on or skinless?
Skinless. It was actually a packaged, marinated turkey tenderloin from Jennie-O. They are slightly salty on their own, so I didn’t add any salt when cooking. This would also be a great recipe for Thanksgiving leftovers – the wine and the turkey! (Although our family rarely has leftover wine
Sounds delicious, Leanne. I was thinking of trying this with a turkey breast with skin on as I see them at the grocery all the time and always pass because I wanted something interesting to do with them. I think it would be perfect with this cooking method/gravy and as you mentioned Thanksgiving, would be a great alternative for someone not wanting to cook a whole bird.
I made this tonight, and I must say it was absolutely delicious! I used a Sauvignon Blanc, and it was perfection. For sides I made new rose mashed potatoes and green beans almondine. Instead of pork loin I used two 1 lb tenderloins. They cooked in about 40 minutes. I kept the sauce cooking a bit longer to compensate. I love fresh herbs, so this was right up my alley. Thanks for this great family pleasing recipe!
Sounds perfect, Julie! I have yet to try this dish with pork tenderloin. Must try it soon :)
i have a question. Is there enough sauce when it is finished cooking to use for gravy for potatoes and if you doubled the sauce would you just double the chicken stock, cream and wine?
Hi Mary, If you’re using the same size loin as in the recipe and only feeding 3 or 4 then yes, you’ll have enough gravy for a spoonful on top of your potatoes to. If you wanted to scale up the sauce, be sure to up the herbs as well to keep that flavour in balance.
How would I cook it if I don’t have a dutch oven? Thank you.
Hi Julie, You’ll need a heavy bottomed pan, preferably one with a lid (but if not, you can partially cover with tin foil). Keep in mind that a pork tenderloin will cook much more quickly. If you don’t want to use heavy cream, I would just add a touch more chicken broth mixed with a tablespoon or so of cornstarch to thicken the gravy. Hope that helps.
What would go good with this as a side dish?
Hi Terri Anne. You can never go wrong with creamy mashed potatoes and a simple veg like roasted carrots. A parsnip mash would also be good. Or you could do rice. Maybe something with some wild rice in it. Finally. I think this would be nice with a bit of potato gnocchi.
I fixed roasted whole new potatoes and green bean almandine with ours – it was a wonderful meal!!
Sounds lovely, Lynn. So glad you enjoyed it :)