Quick, easy and always tender pork tenderloin, combined with a delicious peppercorn gravy. A great weeknight dinner, but special enough for company.
If you are looking for a great pork tenderloin gravy, this peppercorn gravy is it! With a simple list of ingredients, this meal ticks all the boxes for a weeknight meal! Easy. Fast. Delicious.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Pork tenderloin – Pork tenderloin is one of my favourite cuts of meat. It cooks quickly and is always moist. You’ll sometimes find it labelled as “pork filet”. By any name, it’s the long, skinny cut of pork, often a foot or so long and about 2 inches in diameter.
Be sure to remove the silver skin before using. That is the silver patches of fat on the outside of the pork. The silver skin is not only tough, but it contracts as the pork cooks, resulting in your pork tenderloin cooking unevenly. Simply insert the tip of a sharp knife between the silver skin and the meat and cut off, being sure to always cut away from yourself.
Peppercorns – You can use any peppercorns (black, red or green or a mixture). To crush the whole peppercorns, you can crush them in a mortar and pestle or just smash them with a wooden rolling pin on a large cutting board. If you don’t have whole peppercorns on hand, you can use a pepper grinder on the coarsest setting or simply use regular pre-ground pepper, but use less (start with half the amount and go from there).
Wine – The recipe specifies white or red wine. I usually use white, but red, especially when combined with beef broth, makes a nice, rich gravy.
Broth – Again, the recipe specifies either chicken or beef broth. You can use what you have or prefer. I don’t always have beef broth on hand, so I generally default to chicken. Beef broth makes a richer, darker gravy if you prefer that.
Cream – Heavy, 35% b.f. whipping cream is specified in the recipe, as its higher fat content prevents the sauce from splitting in the presence of the acidic wine. While you can use a lighter cream, it may split and leave small, white fatty bits in your gravy. All that said, the gravy is lovely with or without cream, so you can also omit the cream if you like.
How to make pork tenderloin with peppercorn gravy: step-by-step
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Scroll down to the Recipe Card for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.
Step 1: Start by crushing the whole peppercorns. I like to do it in a plastic bag with a rolling pin. Set aside.
Step 2: Sear the pork tenderloin on all sides in a skillet on the stovetop.
Step 3: Transfer the pork to the oven and cook until it reaches 145F. Remove from the oven and transfer to a plate.
Step 4: In the same skillet, melt the butter on the stovetop and add the onion and peppercorns to cook.
Step 5: Add the wine and broth and simmer to reduce, then add the cream.
Step 6: Thicken the gravy with a cornstarch and cold water slurry. Pour over the slices of pork tenderloin to serve.
Recipe tips!
- The recipe offers some flexibility in ingredients in terms of the wine and broth. Generally speaking, I would combine red wine with beef broth and white wine with chicken broth. The red wine/beef broth combination will produce a darker, richer gravy. Adding red wine to chicken broth might make for a slightly pink gravy :) As noted above, though, if you don’t have either wine, you can omit it and just add a bit more broth to your gravy.
- I like to sear the pork before popping it in the oven, not just for the added colour, but because it tends to seal the meat and keep the moisture in. That said, if time or energy is short, you can actually pop the pork directly into the oven and just roast it. Simply allow a few extra minutes of cooking time.
- Perhaps the most important thing to remember when cooking pork is not to overcook it. Pork should only be cooked to 145F internal temperature. If you’ve suffered from “dry pork” before, it was probably overcooked. For years, it was recommended that pork be cooked to 160F internal temperature, but that recommendation has changed, thankfully! Pork cooked to the proper temperature will be lovely and moist!
- And speaking of all those internal temperatures, if you don’t have an instant-read thermometer in your kitchen, I highly recommend it. Why guess and ruin your meat? Instant-read thermometers are less than $20 and are one of the best investments you can make, considering how much meat costs over the years.
What to serve with peppercorn pork tenderloin
This peppercorn gravy just cries out for mashed potatoes, either plain or maybe roasted garlic. Roasted potatoes would also be nice. Add a green vegetable or salad to complete the meal.
Making ahead, storing and freezing
If you want to cook this one ahead, try undercooking the pork just slightly (maybe to 135F, so that when it’s reheated, it won’t be overcooked. Don’t slice the pork; store the pork (well-wrapped) and the sauce separately in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Reheat the pork in a pan in a 350F oven, loosely covered with foil, until warmed through. Reheat the sauce in a saucepan on the stovetop. Slice the reheated pork and pour the rewarmed sauce over the top to serve.
While the pork will freeze well for up to 3 months, the sauce may become grainy if cream is used. If you’d like to freeze the sauce, omit the cream from the sauce. You can add cream when reheating, if you like.
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Get the Recipe: Pork Tenderloin with Peppercorn Gravy
Ingredients
- 1 – 1 1/4 lb. pork tenderloin, silver skin and any visible fat removed
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- olive oil, for the pan
Peppercorn Gravy:
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup onion, very finely chopped
- 2 – 3 teaspoons crushed peppercorns, black, green or red peppercorns, or a mixture *See Note 1 below
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup red or white wine, or omit and use a bit more broth *See Note 2 below
- 1 cup chicken or beef broth, *See Note 2 below
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or a pinch of dried thyme leaves
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream , 35% b.f. or can omit for a non-creamy sauce, *see Note 3 below
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
To thicken gravy (add only as much as needed):
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. (Regular bake setting. Adjust as necessary for convection or fan-assisted.)
- Prepare the 1 – 1 1/4 lb. pork tenderloin (silver skin and any visible fat removed) by removing the silver skin and any visible fat. Season with some salt and set aside.
- Heat an oven-proof skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add a splash of olive oil and heat. Add the pork tenderloin and cook, turning as needed, until it is seared and golden on all sides.
- Place the skillet with the pork into the preheated oven and cook, flipping the pork a couple of times during cooking, until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145F, when measured in the thickest part of the meat, about 20-25 minutes.
- While pork is cooking, gather and measure out your sauce ingredients and have handy.
- Remove skillet from oven. Remove pork to to a cutting board to rest and loosely tent with a piece of aluminum foil.
- Place the hot skillet back on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the 1 Tablespoon butter to the skillet and melt, scraping up the browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Add the 1/4 cup onion (very finely chopped) and 2 – 3 teaspoons crushed peppercorns (black, green or red peppercorns, or a mixture *See Note 1 below) and stir until the onions start to colour, about 1 minute. Add the 1/4 – 1/3 cup red or white wine (or omit and use a bit more broth *See Note 2 below) and cook, stirring, until mostly evaporated, about 1 minute. Add the 1 cup chicken or beef broth (*See Note 2 below), 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard and 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or a pinch of dried thyme leaves).
- Reduce the heat under the pan to medium and allow the sauce to simmer/reduce for a few minutes to blend the flavours and reduce slightly. Add the 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (35% b.f. or can omit for a non-creamy sauce, *see Note 3 below), if using and stir to combine and warm through. Taste the sauce and season with additional salt, as needed.
- To thicken the gravy, combine 3 Tablespoons cornstarch and 1 1/2 Tablespoons cold water in a small bowl, stirring until smooth. Add a bit at a time to your hot gravy, stirring well after each addition, until the desired thickness is achieved.
- Cut the pork tenderloin into slices and spoon hot gravy over the top, to serve.
Notes
More pork tenderloin recipes to love!
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!
Great! Easy! Brined before and made with risotto
So glad you enjoyed it, Amber :) Thanks so much!
WOW, what an awesome recipe. I used 2 tsps of the pepper and I found it spicy, but hubby said it was perfect. Only 1 tbsp of water for the gravy, I ended with big chunks of that mixture….took them out & made it again with about 3 tbsps of water…perfect. I will definitely be making this again. Thanks for this recipe. Marlene
So glad you enjoyed it Marlene! Thanks :)
Excellent. followed recipe exactly, using red wine and beef stock. will make again.
Hi Marge and so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much :)
Made as suggested with white wine, chicken stock and heavy cream. WOW. Weeknight supper or dinner party. Sauce could go on anything. Beef, Poultry or noodles. Make plenty of it.
So glad you enjoyed it, Mark :) Thanks so much!
Just made this on Saturday night! Used red wine and beef broth that I already had open. Didn’t have whipping cream, so I used some sour cream. I just whisked like crazy and no curdling. This was a delicious recipe and will make it for company, when I can have company again!
So glad to hear, Jennifer :) Thanks so much!
I definitely need to give this one a try some time. My husband is picky but we both enjoy pork and I know he would love this recipe with the gravy!
Thanks and yes, the gravy is delicious!
That was so good!!!! I made the non-cream sauce (chicken broth, no wine) and I served it with mashed potatoes and steamed veg. We ate the whole lot 😀
So glad you enjoyed it, Molly! Thanks so much :)
A yummy peppercorn gravy and perfectly cooked pork tenderloin? Sounds like a fabulous Sunday supper right there! That and some mash and I’m set ;)
Sounds perfect! Thanks Dawn :)
The sauce is so well suited for pork tenderloin! Adding this recipe to our dinner plans.
Thanks. Milena and yes, one of my favourites with pork!
You know I’m going to make this one! I adore black pepper, pork and gravy so this will happen in my kitchen asap :) This is one beautiful meal. Pinned :)
Thanks Tricia :) It’s one of my favourites, too!