Name: Cast Iron Pork Tenderloin with Port-Cherry Reduction
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 2 (12- to 16-ounce) pork tenderloins , trimmed; Salt and pepper; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 shallot , minced; 3/4 cup port; 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar; 1/4 cup dried cherries , chopped; 1 sprig fresh thyme; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Why This Recipe Works

Pork tenderloin has a lot going for it: It's supertender with a buttery, fine-grained texture; it's easy to prepare; it cooks quickly; and its mild flavor is the perfect backdrop for a variety of sauces. But because pork tenderloin is so lean, it frequently ends up dry and overcooked. We wanted a recipe that would produce flavorful and juicy pork tenderloin every time. Preheating the skillet in the oven before adding the tenderloins ensured that they cooked quickly but still developed a great crust. For a flavorful pan sauce, we made a sweet-tart reduction of ruby port, tart balsamic vinegar, tangy dried cherries, and savory thyme that perfectly complemented the pork. The sauce came together in the same skillet in which we cooked the meat while the tenderloins rested after cooking.

Before You Begin

To ensure that the tenderloins don't curl during cooking, remove the silverskin from the meat. Serve with mashed potatoes, if desired.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position, place 12-inch cast-iron skillet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Meanwhile, season pork with salt and let sit at room temperature.

When oven reaches 500 degrees, pat pork dry with paper towels and season with pepper. Using pot holders, remove skillet from oven and place over medium-high heat; turn off oven. Being careful of hot skillet handle, add oil and heat until just smoking. Brown pork on all sides, about 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook pork, turning as needed, until well browned and pork registers 145 degrees, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer pork to carving board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest while making reduction.

Add shallot to fat left in skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 30 seconds. Stir in port, vinegar, cherries, and thyme sprig, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to simmer and cook until slightly thickened and reduced to about ½ cup, 4 to 6 minutes. Off heat, discard thyme sprig and whisk in butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice pork ½ inch thick and serve with reduction.