This easy pork tenderloin recipe is made entirely on the stovetop, and the side dish is built right in! It's a little bit fancy, and perfect if you're looking for different things to do with pork tenderloin.
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I love cooking pork tenderloin and make it about once a week. It's affordable and it cooks quickly. But because I cook it so often, I'm always looking for different things to do with pork tenderloin.
This recipe from Bon Appétit caught my eye and I just happened to have everything I needed on hand so I went for it. (Yes, I actually had golden beets in the fridge. I am nothing if not prepared for any kitchen scenario.)
What I love about this is that your side dish is included in the recipe. Gorgeous beets in a light, flavorful sauce of chicken stock and white wine. The cider vinegar gives a nice bite and balances the sweetness of the dish. Make a green salad (or not) and you're all set.
Ingredients
- Pork tenderloin: It's lean and versatile and cooks quickly! I ordered mine from Snake River Farms.* Their Korubuta pork is sustainably raised, has incredible flavor, and is served in many Michelin-starred restaurants. It's amazing to be able to get this quality of meat delivered to your door.
- Golden Beets: If you love red beets, you'll love golden beets. They have a mellow sweetness, and are slightly less earthy than red beets. They're fun and pretty and something a little different.
- Yellow onions
- Garlic
- White wine: Not an expensive one, but one that you would drink.
- Chicken stock
- Cider vinegar: This gives the sauce a nice hit of acid.
- Dried apricots
- Pistachios
- Fresh mint
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Kosher salt
*I am an affiliate for Snake River Farms and if you purchase through my links I may make a small commission.
How to make it
Adapted from Bon Appétit.
In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the pistachios until fragrant and they begin to release their oils, 3 - 5 minutes, remove from skillet and set aside.
Season the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper.
Pork tenderloins can vary widely in size. I used two that were about one pound each.
Using a good chef's knife, slice the onions thinly. Chop the garlic cloves.
Place a large, deep pan with a lid over medium high heat. Add olive oil and sauté onions until they are becoming translucent, 6-8 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt.
I used my Lodge enameled cast iron casserole pan. It's nice and big, heats evenly, perfect for a recipe like this that needs a good high-sided pan with a lid.
Disclosure: I am a member of the Lodge Food Blogger Network. This pan was provided to me free of charge. All opinions are my own.
While the onions are cooking, cut the beets into thin slices. Slicing them like this reduces the cooking time.
Add the sliced beets to the pan and continue to cook for another 7-10 minutes until the beets are beginning to soften. Add garlic and continue to cook for another minute or so until the garlic is fragrant. Season with a pinch of salt.
Add the wine, cider, and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Season with a bit of salt, reduce heat to low, and cover the pan.
While the beets simmer, chop the apricots, mint and pistachios. Combine them with the lemon juice and olive oil and set aside.
After the beets have been simmering in the liquid for about 10 minutes, heat a 12" non-stick skillet over medium high, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sear the pork tenderloin on all sides.
When cooking pork tenderloin, be aware that it can have 3 - 6 sides depending on the shape. Sear each side for 3-5 minutes, until it's golden brown. Make sure to get a quick sear on each end, too.
Nestle the pork tenderloins back into the simmering beets and cook uncovered for another 10-20 minutes, turning them from time to time, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 145 degrees F.
If the pan is getting too dry, add a splash of chicken stock. You want a bit of that simmering sauce to serve with the beets.
Allow the pork to rest for 5-10 minutes, then slice. Taste the beets and season with salt if needed. Put some of the beet mixture on a plate, add slices of pork, then top with apricot-mint sauce.
Tips and Substitutions
- If you can't find golden beets, red beets will work just fine. They are a little bit sweeter and earthier, but their flavor will go just as well with the apricot sauce. I don't recommend Chioggia beets, though. (The ones that are striped on the inside when sliced.) I find that they are not very sweet when cooked/roasted and are better suited for eating raw in salads.
- Do not mistake pork loin for pork tenderloin! Pork tenderloin is a small muscle that runs along the back of the animal. It's lean and very tender. Pork loin is a much larger cut of meat that comes from near the rib. It's the same meat you find attached to a pork chop—the meat has just been cut away from the rib bones. They are not interchangeable in recipes, as they require very different cooking times and methods.
- I love the combination of apricots and pistachios, but you could substitute walnuts or hazelnuts if that's what you have on hand.
- This is an easy pork tenderloin recipe, but it does require a fair amount of active cooking time. Make it on a night when you want to have a glass of wine and put on some music and hang out in the kitchen, cooking your cares away.
- I've tried to set this up so you are prepping one thing while something else is cooking, which will give you more time. If you don't feel confident in that flow, go ahead and make the apricot sauce first. Then chop your onions, beets and garlic before you start cooking.
FAQs
What temperature should the pork tenderloin be cooked to?
Pork should be cooked to 145 F. Use a meat thermometer and test it at the thickest part of the meat.
Can pork tenderloin be a little pink?
Yes. When cooked to the proper temperature, pork tenderloin may still appear slightly pink. It's nothing to worry about. The meat will be very tender.
Related Recipes
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Chimichurri Sauce is sooo easy to make! Just a little chopping and stirring.
- Oven Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese, Orange Vinaigrette, and Mint is perfect for potlucks. The longer the beets sit in the dressing, the better they taste.
- Red beets are the star of the show in this Roasted Vegetable Salad with Charred Lemon Vinaigrette.
Recipe
Pork Tenderloin with Golden Beets and Apricot-Mint Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
Pork Tenderloin and Golden Beets
- 2 lb pork tenderloin
- 1 ½ lb golden beets
- 2 yellow onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoon cider vinegar
- kosher salt to taste
Apricot Mint Sauce
- ¼ cup raw pistachios chopped
- ¼ cup chopped dried apricots
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the pistachios until fragrant and they begin to release their oils, 3 - 5 minutes.
- Season the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper and allow it to start coming to room temperature as you prepare the other ingredients. (You can remove it from the fridge up to one hour before you begin preparing the recipe.)
- Slice the onions thinly. Chop the garlic cloves. Place a large, deep pan with a lid over medium high heat. Add olive oil and sauté onions until they are becoming translucent, 6-8 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt.
- While the onions are cooking, cut the beets into thin slices, and cut the rounds into halves or quarters, depending on the size. Slicing them like this reduces the cooking time.
- Add the sliced beets to the pan and continue to cook for another 7-10 minutes until the beets are beginning to soften. Add garlic and continue to cook for another minute or so until the garlic is fragrant. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Add the wine, cider, and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Season with a bit of salt, reduce heat to low, and cover the pan.
- While the beets simmer, chop the apricots, mint and pistachios. Combine them with the lemon juice and olive oil and set aside.
- After the beets have been simmering in the liquid for about 10 minutes, heat a non-stick skillet over medium high, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sear the pork tenderloin on each side for 3 - 5 minutes, until golden brown. Make sure to get a quick sear on each end, too.
- Nestle the pork tenderloins back into the simmering beets and cook uncovered for another 10-20 minutes, turning them from time to time. If the pan is getting too dry, add a splash of chicken stock. You want the final product to be a bit saucy. Cook until a meat thermometer registers 145 degrees F in the thickest part of the meat.
- Allow the pork to rest for 5-10 minutes, then slice. Taste the beets and season with salt. Put some of the beet mixture on a plate, add slices of pork, then top with apricot-mint sauce.
Notes
- This recipe is easy to make, but it does require a fair amount of active cooking time. I adapted it from Bon Appétit, and shortened their cooking time by about 30 minutes. Make this on a night when you can pour yourself a glass of wine, put on some music, and cook your cares away for an hour in the kitchen.
- I've tried to set this up so you are prepping one thing while something else is cooking, which will give you more time. If you don't feel confident in that flow, go ahead and make the apricot sauce first. Then chop your onions, beets and garlic before you start cooking.
- I ordered this pork tenderloin from Snake River Farms. They sell sustainably raised beef and pork and deliver it to your door. It's so good, that you'll find it on the menus of Michelin-starred restaurants. And the difference in taste will blow your mind. It's amazing to be able to get such high-quality meat without being an actual chef! Give them a try yourself.
- I used my Lodge enameled cast iron casserole pan for this recipe. It's perfect because it can easily go from sautéing to simmering and has a good lid.
- Slicing the beets thinly greatly reduces the cooking time as opposed to a large dice that you might normally do. (I tried it both ways.)
- You can use red beets instead of golden, they will just be a little bit sweeter and a little more earthy. I don't recommend chioggia beets, though. I find they tend to lose all of their flavor when roasted and they're better for use raw in salads.
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