Name: Shallot-Balsamic Sauce with Rosemary and Mustard
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4 (Makes enough for 2 tenderloins)
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces; 2 medium shallots, sliced thin (about 1/2 cup); 1 teaspoon light brown sugar; 2 tablespoons water; 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar; 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Why This Recipe Works

A marriage of stovetop and oven cooking produced a flavorful and juicy pork tenderloin recipe. A pan sauce was a natural way to add flavor to the roast; the browned bits, or fond, left behind in the pan from the roast made the perfect base for the sauce. The 10 or so minutes that the meat spent in the oven gave us time to reduce vinegar or wine down to a glaze or to caramelize onions and garlic in the empty pan. While the meat rested, we could finish the sauce with fresh herbs or mustard or butter. The entire dish took us less than 30 minutes to complete.

Instructions

Immediately after placing pork in oven, add 1 tablespoon butter to still-hot skillet; when melted, stir in shallots, brown sugar, and water. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until shallots are browned and caramelized, 7 to 10 minutes; set skillet aside off heat.

While pork is resting, set skillet over medium-low heat and add vinegar; simmer, scraping up browned bits with wooden spoon, until mixture is slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add rosemary and any accumulated pork juices; continue to simmer until syrupy and reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 2 minutes longer. Off heat, whisk in mustard and remaining 3 tablespoons butter, one piece at a time. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.