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I’ve always thought that the flavor of pork pairs beautifully with fruit in various dishes – and today’s Mandarin Pork Tenderloin Medallions is a perfect example of that!
These Mandarin Pork Tenderloin Medallions are quick and easy to make (only about 30 minutes from start to finish) so it’s a perfect meal for a busy weeknight. But the finished dish is so pretty and elegant – and so delicious – that it would also be a great option to serve at a dinner party.
We sliced pork tenderloin into serving-sized medallions and butterflied each piece so they cook more evenly. Then we sautéed the medallions in a hot skillet until cooked through. After placing the cooked pork on a serving platter, we deglazed the skillet with some white wine – then added a wonderful mandarin sauce made from our fantastic homemade Mandarin Marmalade we shared yesterday, plus sliced onions, garlic, rosemary, Dijon mustard and white balsamic vinegar. We finished the sauce by adding in slices of fresh mandarin oranges for some additional juicy, sweet flavors.
In case you are worried that the Mandarin Marmalade used in the sauce may be too sweet – rest assured that is not at all the case! The sauce is a wonderful balance of sweet and savory flavors that perfectly complements the pork.
One last note: Although we used our homemade Mandarin Marmalade in this Mandarin Pork Tenderloin Medallions recipe, in a pinch you can use store-bought orange marmalade if you wish.
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Mandarin Pork Tenderloin Medallions
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup onion, cut vertically into half inch strips
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 cup Mandarin Marmalade (see our recipe here) or jarred orange marmalade
- 2 fresh Mandarin oranges
- 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin (one tenderloin)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup white wine, such as Chardonnay
Instructions
- In a medium sauté pan, melt butter over medium high heat and add onions. Sauté for 4-5 minutes or until soft and starting to turn brown. Reduce heat to medium.
- Add rosemary and garlic and cook one minute.
- Add Balsamic vinegar and mustard and stir to combine.
- Add Mandarin Marmalade, stir and remove from heat.
- Peel oranges and with a sharp knife, cut out each segment of each orange and place in sauce. If you cut down on each side of the segment from the outside with a very sharp knife, the segments pop right out. Then discard the pith and skin.
- Remove silver skin from tenderloin and cut off a few inches of the thin end. The remaining piece should be somewhat the same thickness throughout, give or take. Cut it into four equal slices. Then cut half way to three quarters through each slice and butterfly open.
- Oil, salt and pepper each side of each butterflied piece.
- Place a large sauté pan over high heat and heat to smoking hot.
- Place all four pieces in the skillet not touching. Also cook the tail piece you cut off for nibbling.
- Cook for about two minutes and flip. Cook two more minutes and reduce to medium. Cook for another few minutes turning over one more time until cooked to your desired doneness. Ours took less than eight minutes total but we like it slightly medium rare.
- Use the poke test. Make a loose fist and feel the thick part of flesh below your thumb. When pushed, it is firm but has some give to it and bounces back when touched. The meat should have that same feel and be medium to medium rare. Remove to a platter.
- Keep the heat on and add the wine and after 30 seconds, add the reserved sauce. Gently stir trying not breaking up the segments.
- Add any liquid from the platter with the pork, stir in then pour over the cooked medallions and serve.
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Great dish. My family loved this and my DD asked for the recipe. I used orange marmalade and fresh mandarin oranges.
It was a hit at my house and will be made again. Thanks for sharing this nice keeper.
Thank you so much – glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Your recipes look amazing! I’ve been pinning them like crazy to my food board!
Jackie- anything can be “kid friendly”. We as the parents need to introduce them to a variety of foods and flavors. The more exposure, the more likely they’ll begin to enjoy different foods. I have two toddlers. One will eat what’s on her plate, the other, nothing. But I still prepare a varied menu because with time, she’ll begin to eat it. That or she might starve!
Hi
Is this a kid-friendly meal.
Hi Jackie – I think so! 🙂