Pork Medallions with Creamy Dijon Sauce make a wonderful midweek supper. Delicious and tender pieces of pork in a rich and creamy sauce.
Its quick and easy to make, simple enough for every day and yet elegant enough for a special occasion! Even a date night if that's on the cards.
Incredibly delicious you can have it on the table in about half an hour's time. You can't ask for much more than that!
It is perfectly sized for just two people, but can very easily be multiplied to serve more if you wish. It would make for very tasty dinner party fare! You can easily dress it up with the sides you choose to serve with it.
Today I served it simply with some fried leftover boiled potatoes and peas and corn. No waste here!
Pork tenderloin is a long, narrow and tender piece of pork that comes from the muscle that runs along the back of the pig. You often see it attached to bone in loin chops. It's that tender juicy nugget on one side of the chop. Need I say . . . my favorite bit.
You will also see it sold as pork fillet. Pork tenderloin is one of the healthiest cuts of pork, and is just as lean as a boneless, skinless chicken breast.
It is the most tender cut of the animal as it is not a working muscle. Its so tender that it lends itself wonderfully to quick cooking and searing. Sauces also go very well.
When I was growing up my mother used to cook pork to death. It was always dry. You could have shingled a roof with her chops and the rain would never have gotten in. Back in those days there was a very real fear of people getting trichinosis from undercooked pork.
Today's pork is much safer to eat, and it no longer has to be cooked until it dries out. Slightly pink is quite safe. So long as the temperature reaches 155*F/68*C or rested to a final 160*F/71*C, it is considered perfectly safe.
WHAT YOU NEED TO COOK PORK MEDALLIONS WITH CREAMY DIJON SAUCE
Good wholesome simple ingredients. There is nothing outrageous here, unless you consider Dijon mustard outrageous. In my kitchen, it is the mustard of preference, especially for cooking.
- 1 pound (400g) pork tenderloin
- 1 TBS light olive oil
- 1 TBS butter, divided
- 1 shallot peeled and finely minced
- 1/4 cup (60ml) chicken stock
- 1 TBS grainy Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
- salt and black pepper to taste
I use olive oil in my kitchen. I use the light for cooking with the extra virgin for everything else, salads, dipping, etc. For when flavor counts.
Olive oil is considered to be much healthier for you, and is a vital part of the Mediterranean diet.
A bit of oil used along with butter helps you to be able to sear your meat without the butter burning. Butter adds the flavor.
You could use white wine instead of chicken stock. I didn't happen to have any in the house. This makes it even more elegant and adds a lovely depth of flavor.
HOW TO COOK PORK MEDALLIONS WITH CREAMY DIJON SAUCE
Its very simple really. I can be rather lazy you know and simple is what works best for me! I did enough complicated when I cooked at the Manor. In my old age I am taking it easy as much as I can.
Trim any silver skin from the pork and cut it into 4 (2 inch thick) medallions. Press down with the heel of your hand to flatten slightly. Season it on both sides with salt and black pepper.
It is really important that you remove the silver skin. It is not like regular fat and will not render itself upon cooking. If you leave the silver skin on when you cook your pork, it will tighten and cause your meat to twist. You can find a wonderful tutorial on how to remove the silver skin from the pork here. It also includes video so that everything is crystal clear.
Heat the oil and half of the butter in a skillet over high heat. When the butter begins to foam add the pork. Cook until nicely browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip over and brown on the other side until the meat is slightly firm to the touch, about 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and keep warm.
Add the remaining butter to the pan. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Cook for about half a minute over medium heat, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the pan.
Add the chicken stock and deglaze the pan. Whisk in the cream and Dijon mustard. Simmer over medium heat until smooth and thickened.
Return the pork to the pan, along with any accumulated juices. Cook until it is firm to the touch, 2 to 4 minutes. It will still be a bit pink in the middle.
Season to taste and serve hot with some of the creamy Dijon sauce spooned over top.
This made for a really delicious mid-week meal for myself. Just because I live on my own that is no reason why I have to feed myself from tin cans or frozen packets. Often cooking from scratch is a lot quicker than heating up a frozen dinner in the oven.
This was lovely. I simply cut the potatoes into thick slices, leaving the peel on. I seasoned them on both cut sides with some salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder. I then fried them in my iron skillet, cut sides down, over medium-high heat in a bit of butter and oil (about 1/2 tsp of each) turning them over once they were browned on one side.
They were done to perfection in about the same time as it took to cook my pork. Frozen peas/corn. Win, win.
Pork Tenderloin is my favorite cut of pork. If you also love it you might enjoy the following recipes as well:
PARMESAN CRUSTED PORK TENDERLOIN - This is a very elegant way to cook pork. The pork is coated with a bit of oil and then rolled in a cheese herb mixture prior to roasting to perfection. A delicious lemon and olive sauce is created to spoon over top. Altogether quite delicious and simple to do.
DIJON, GARLIC AND HERB PORK FILLET - Pork tenderloin is brushed with some Dijon mustard and then rolled in a flavorful garlic and herb mixture before roasting to perfection. Delicious served sliced with an assortment of vegetables on the side. Tender juicy, perfectly cooked pork with a beautifully herby crust! Quick and easy to do, and healthy too!
Yield: 2
Pork Medallions with Creamy Dijon Sauce
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min
A delicious weeknight dinner that's on the table in 30 minutes. Elegantly impressive, but very simple to make.
Ingredients
- 1 pound (400g) pork tenderloin
- 1 TBS light olive oil
- 1 TBS butter, divided
- 1 shallot peeled and finely minced
- 1/4 cup (60ml) chicken stock
- 1 TBS grainy Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Trim any silver skin from the pork and cut it into 4 (2 inch thick) medallions. Press down with the heel of your hand to flatten slightly. Season it on both sides with salt and black pepper.
- Heat the oil and half of the butter in a skillet over high heat. When the butter begins to foam add the pork. Cook until nicely browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip over and brown on the other side until the meat is slightly firm to the touch, about 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and keep warm.
- Add the remaining butter to the pan. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Cook for about half a minute over medium heat, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the pan.
- Add the chicken stock and deglaze the pan. Whisk in the cream and Dijon mustard. Simmer over medium heat until smooth and thickened.
- Return the pork to the pan, along with any accumulated juices. Cook until it is firm to the touch, 2 to 4 minutes. It will still be a bit pink in the middle.
- Season to taste and serve hot with some of the creamy Dijon sauce spooned over top.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
I have been interested in food and cooking for all of my life. When I was a child my mother would give me her old magazines and I would clip recipes from out of them. My mother was not someone who tolerated little hands messing up her kitchen, so I never really got to try any of them.
We could watch, but from afar. Actually touching anything was forbidden. I think she was just really afraid we would hurt ourselves. One time I burnt my left hand very badly. We had solid electric burners on our stove. I was getting up to sit on the garbage can to watch her and I put my full hand and my weight down onto my left hand on the burner which had just been shut off.
The whole palm of my hand was very badly burnt. I can remember to this day how badly it felt. I was only five years old. I am sure this went a lot way towards her not wanting us in the kitchen. She sewed a little cotton bag with a drawstring top for me to wear on my hand when I was allowed back to school.
Anyways, I have always been collecting recipes. Recipes from magazines. Recipes from cookbooks I would take out from the local library. Recipes gifted to me by friends. Family recipes, etc.
I had a huge collection of cookbooks in the UK, amassed over years and years of collecting. I left them all behind when I came back to Canada, with the mistaken idea that it was cheaper to replace them here. Actually some of them were irreplaceable, which I have found out.
All of the recipes I collected were put into my Big Blue Binder, which is a huge vinyl binder which has travelled all the way across Canada and back, and now across the ocean and back with me.
I used to love to buy Woman's Day and Family Circle, mostly for the recipes. In the Woman's Day magazine they would have a pull out section every month called The Collector's Cookbook. I collected quite a few of those.
This muffin recipe I am sharing with you today comes from this pull out from a Woman's Day magazine published in October of 1973.
This is the one I used. I pick it up in small packages at our local Giant Tiger store for a fairly reasonable price. If you are in the UK, you will not be able to find this type of thing, or at least you couldn't when I lived there just a few years ago.
I did find a recipe online where you can make your own Buttermilk Baking Mix here on the Hill Billy Housewife. It does require Buttermilk powder. You can buy buttermilk powder here, but I warn you it is very expensive.
It is possible to make your own Homemade Baking Mix. I am pretty sure it would work as well as the Buttermilk Baking Mix. Here is my recipe for making it from scratch. It does come in handy for all sorts.
*Homemade Baking Mix*
Makes 24 servingsThis is mix which comes in really handy to have in the cupboard, ready to use for making muffins, pancakes and all sorts.
245g milk powder (1 cup)
5 TBS baking powder
50g white sugar (1/4 cup)
1 TBS salt
220g white vegetable shortening (1 cup) (Trex or Crisco)
Whisk flour, dry milk powder, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Cut shortening into dry ingredients with a pastry cutter, about 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture resembles cornmeal. Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.
To make biscuits/scones: Measure 260g (2 cups) of the mix into a bowl. Stir in 180ml buttermilk (3/4 cup) with a fork, Pat out, cut into circles and bake in a 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7 oven for about 10 minutes. Makes six large biscuits (scones).
To make Pancakes: Measure 260g (2 cups) of the mix into a bowl. Whisk in 3 TBS sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 2 TBS vegetable oil and 2 eggs. Whisk together until smooth. Cook as per regular pancakes on a greased griddle. Drop 1/4 cupful at a time onto hot greased griddle. Cook until the edges are dry, flip and cook until golden. Makes about 14.
You really only need four simple ingredients. I usually always have these things in the house.
- 1 cup (130g) buttermilk baking mix
- 3 TBS granulated sugar
- 1 large free range egg
- 1/3 cup (80ml) cold water
HOW TO MAKE EASY MUFFINS
They really couldn't be easier to make. These are perfect for when you want to bake up a small batch of muffins at the last minute. There are also variations on the printable recipe to make date or nut muffins, or corn muffins.
Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter a six cup medium sized muffin tin/pan really well. Set aside.
Measure the baking mix, sugar, egg and water into a bowl. Beat vigorously with a spoon for 1/2 minute. Divide between the muffin cups.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown and risen. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.
VARIATIONS:
Nut or Date Muffins: Add 1/4 cup of chopped nuts or dated to the batter before putting in the pans.
Corn Muffins: Melt 2 TBS butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add 1/2 cup each buttermilk baking mix (65g), 1/2 cup white or yellow cornmeal (80g), 2 TBS sugar, 1 large free range egg, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/3 cup (80ml) water. Mix well, then beat 1/2 minute. Bake as directed above.
I was really impressed with the ease at which these muffins went together. Like I said, I have had this recipe since 1973 and this was the first time I have cooked it. I can tell you, it won't be the last!
They were a nice size, not too big and had a beautiful texture. The perfect muffin texture. I did the date version and added chopped Medjool dates to mine. They were delicious!
If you would like to make muffins completely from scratch, there is no shortage of delicious muffins here in The English Kitchen. Some you might enjoy are:
FOUR PERFECT BLUEBERRY MUFFINS: This recipe makes only four of the most perfect, deliciously delectable blueberry muffins. With a lovely tender and moist crumb and plenty of blueberries, these always go down a real treat and I love that there are not tons of muffins to use up at the end of the day.
ULTIMATE BUTTERMILK BRAN MUFFINS: Of all the muffins that I bake Bran Muffins are my favorites, being filled with fiber and somewhat healthy. This particularly nice version uses buttermilk which makes for a really lovely and moist muffin with a slightly tangy flavor. With two types of bran they are light and delicious!
Yield: 6 medium muffins
Easy Muffins
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 18 MinTotal time: 23 Min
With only four basic ingredients, these really are easy muffins to make. Variations are in the recipe notes. Moist and delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (130g) buttermilk baking mix
- 3 TBS granulated sugar
- 1 large free range egg
- 1/3 cup (80ml) cold water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter a six cup medium sized muffin tin/pan really well. Set aside.
- Measure the baking mix, sugar, egg and water into a bowl. Beat vigorously with a spoon for 1/2 minute. Divide between the muffin cups.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown and risen. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.
Notes
VARIATIONS:
Nut or Date Muffins: Add 1/4 cup of chopped nuts or dated to the batter before putting in the pans.
Corn Muffins: Melt 2 TBS butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add 1/2 cup each buttermilk baking mix (65g), 1/2 cup white or yellow cornmeal (80g), 2 TBS sugar, 1 large free range egg, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/3 cup (80ml) water. Mix well, then beat 1/2 minute. Bake as directed above.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
Its a horrible day out there today. The wind is blowing and the rain is falling. Its not fit for man nor beast. Its probably one of the few last days where I will feel comfortable putting my oven on and so I took advantage of that to make myself a Cranberry Baked Ham Steak dinner.
We get these lovely full round ham steaks at the grocery stores here in Nova Scotia. A full round slice of ham, bone in, about 1 inch thick. One of these is the perfect size to feed four people.
For myself, I cut them into four pieces and freeze three (individually wrapped) to enjoy on another day. This really makes for an economical main meal, whether you be one person or four people. You can usually pick up a full slice for not much more than $6.
I feel that I need to apologize for the quality of my photos today. The lighting is so poor. I like to photograph all of my recipes in natural light and on days like this things can look darker than they should, or even have a hint of blue.
I hope this won't put you off from trying this very delicious and simple entrée!
This recipe comes from the pages of my Big Blue Binder. This is a blue vinyl binder that I have been collecting hand written recipes, and magazine clippings in for over 45 years or more now. Recipes shared from friends, clipped from magazines, copied from books, etc.
I can't really give you the original source of this recipe. I suspect it was my mother's old Co-op cookbook, but I can't say for sure. I used to copy down recipes from that book every time I went home to visit.
It was an old community cookbook that my mother had from the town where she grew up in. Old. Old. Old. I think my sister has the original book now. Its a real family treasure and falling apart at the seams. Its the only cookbook my mother ever really had.
You know how those community cookbooks work. People enter in their very best recipes, family favorites, etc. Most of the recipes are sure to be really good ones, and I have to admit that this one is no exception!!! Quick to make, easy to make, and delicious!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CRANBERRY BAKED HAM STEAK
Only three very simple ingredients!
- 1 full round ham steak, cut into serving sized pieces
- 1 TBS Dijon mustard
- 1 cup (295g) whole berry cranberry sauce
In the UK, you can use gammon steaks. In Canada, ham steaks are fully cooked and only need heating through. In the UK gammon is uncooked, so you may need to cook them for a tiny bit longer.
The original recipe simply called for prepared mustard. I took the liberty of using Dijon. Its not as garish a color and is not as sharp or vinegary. It has a subtle warmth, but if you only have prepared mustard, by all means use that.
They may cost a bit more, but you get what you pay for. Usually you can find them somewhere on special. Their baked beans are the best!
HOW TO MAKE CRANBERRY BAKED HAM STEAK
Nothing could be easier. Really. As I said, today I baked only one portion. Quantities are given for four portions, with single quantities in brackets.
Preheat the oven to 350*C/180*F/ gas mark 4. Cut your ham steak into 4 pieces.
Spray a baking dish large enough to hold them in one layer. (I did only one portion today and froze the other three pieces of ham. 1 tsp mustard, 3 TBS of cranberry sauce.)
Spread the mustard all over the surface of the ham steak. Dot on the cranberry sauce and then spread it over to cover the mustard.
Bake in the preheated oven for half an hour until cooked and heated through. Serve hot.
There will be some liquid in the baking dish. This is normal. The ham will release a lot of water. It is the same with most meats these days. I think that they are pumped full of water to increase the weight, but I could be wrong.
I served my ham steak simply with some boiled and buttered new potatoes on the side and some steamed tender stem cauliflower. It was a simple meal and quite delicious.
This ham would go well with any kind of potato, steamed, boiled, baked, mashed, etc. It would also go really well with macaroni and cheese.
Watch this space to see what I do with the other three portions of my ham steak! It will be something delicious for sure!!
Here are some other Ham Steak Recipes which I have shared here in my English Kitchen. I promise you they are all delicious!
HAM STEAK SHEET PAN DINNER - I love sheet pan dinners. Dinner doesn't really get much easier than this. Everything cooks on one sheet pan. Ham steaks, lightly glazed, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, green beans and carrots. Everything is timed to perfection so it all ends up being perfectly cooked at the same time, and if you line your sheet pan with some aluminum foil, clean up is minimal!
PINEAPPLE GLAZED HAM STEAK - No need to cook a full ham when you are a pair of empty nesters or a singleton all on your own. You can still have a delicious ham dinner. Tender and juicy ham with a sweet tangy pineapple and maraschino cherry glaze. Delicious as well as being very pretty! I would serve this to company.
Yield: 4
Cranberry Baked Ham Steak
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 35 Min
Tender and delicious. Quick and easy to do as well. 3 simple ingredients, one very delicious entrée.
Ingredients
- 1 full round ham steak, cut into serving sized pieces
- 1 TBS Dijon mustard
- 1 cup (295g) whole berry cranberry sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*C/180*F/ gas mark 4. Cut your ham steak into 4 pieces.
- Spray a baking dish large enough to hold them in one layer. (I did only one portion today and froze the other three pieces of ham. 1 tsp mustard, 3 TBS of cranberry sauce.)
- Spread the mustard all over the surface of the ham steak. Dot on the cranberry sauce and then spread it over to cover the mustard.
- Bake in the preheated oven for half an hour until cooked and heated through. Serve hot.
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
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