1 - 1 1/4lb.pork tenderloin, silver skin and any visible fat removed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil, for the pan
Peppercorn Gravy:
1Tablespoonbutter
1/4cuponion, very finely chopped
2 - 3teaspoonscrushed peppercorns, black, green or red peppercorns, or a mixture *See Note 1 below
1/4 - 1/3cupred or white wine, or omit and use a bit more broth *See Note 2 below
1cupchicken or beef broth, *See Note 2 below
1/2teaspoonDijon mustard
1/2teaspoonfresh thyme leaves, or a pinch of dried thyme leaves
1/4cupheavy 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):
2Tablespoonscornstarch
1Tablespooncold water
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Instructions
Preheat oven to 425F.
Prepare the pork tenderloin by removing the silver skin and any visible fat. Season with some salt and set aside.
Heat an oven-proof skillet on the stove-top 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 skillet with the pork into the preheated oven and cook 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. To the skillet, add butter and melt, scraping up in bits in the bottom of the pan. Add the onions and peppercorns and stir until the onions are starting to colour, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until mostly evaporated, about 1 minute. Add the broth, Dijon mustard and thyme. Reduce heat to medium and allow sauce to simmer/reduce for a few minutes to blend the flavours and reduce slightly. Add cream, if using and stir to combine and warm through. Taste the sauce and season with salt, as needed. To thicken the gravy, combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl, stirring until smooth. Add a bit at a time to your hot gravy, stirring well after each addition, until desired thickness is achieved.
Cut pork tenderloin into slices and spoon hot gravy over-top, to serve.
Notes
Note 1: To crush peppercorns, use a mortar and pestle or simply hit them with a wooden rolling pin on a large cutting board. If you don't have any whole peppercorns on hand, use a pepper grinder on the coarsest setting to get the biggest pieces of pepper in the sauce.Note 2: You can use either red or white wine, depending on what you have on hand or what you prefer. Generally, red wine is best combined with beef broth and white wine combined with chicken broth, if possible.Note 3: Heavy, whipping cream is recommended as the higher fat level 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 fat chunks in your sauce and result in a less than smooth, thinner sauce.That said, this gravy is delicious with or without cream, so you can also omit, if you prefer.