Cranberry Orange Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Rosemary & Dijon

Description

Tender pork tenderloin medallions are seared until golden, then finished with a bright Cranberry Orange White Balsamic pan sauce with Dijon, rosemary, garlic, broth, and Garlic Mushroom Olive Oil. The sauce is tangy, savory, lightly sweet, and balanced enough for an easy weeknight dinner or an elegant holiday-style plate.

Recipe Overview

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: About 18 minutes
Rest Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: About 35–40 minutes

Ingredients

1¼ pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed and sliced into 1-inch medallions
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Garlic Mushroom Olive Oil
1 small shallot, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
⅓ cup Cranberry Orange White Balsamic, divided
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon cold butter
Optional: ½ teaspoon honey, only if you prefer a slightly softer, sweeter sauce

Instructions

• Pat the pork medallions dry with paper towels and season both sides with kosher salt and black pepper.

• Heat Garlic Mushroom Olive Oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.

• Add the pork in a single layer without crowding the skillet. Sear for about 2–3 minutes per side, working in batches if needed, until deeply golden. Transfer the medallions to a clean plate. They do not need to be fully cooked at this stage because they will finish gently in the pan sauce.

• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the shallot and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until softened.

• Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

• Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.

• Stir in ¼ cup Cranberry Orange White Balsamic and the Dijon mustard. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, until the sauce has reduced slightly but remains loose enough to coat the pork.

• Return the pork medallions and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Spoon the sauce over the pork and simmer gently for 1–2 minutes, checking the smaller pieces first. Remove each medallion from the skillet as soon as the thickest portion reaches 145°F and transfer to a clean plate.

• Let the pork rest for at least 3 minutes.

• While the pork rests, remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Cranberry Orange White Balsamic and the cold butter until the sauce is smooth, glossy, and lightly thickened. Taste before adding the optional honey; use it only if you prefer a slightly sweeter finish.

• Spoon the Cranberry Orange rosemary-Dijon pan sauce over the rested pork medallions and serve immediately.

Chef’s Tip

Pork tenderloin is very lean, so avoid letting the medallions boil in the sauce. Sear them for color, finish them gently in the pan sauce, and remove each piece as soon as it reaches 145°F. Resting the pork separately while you finish the sauce off the heat helps keep the medallions juicy while preserving the fresh cranberry-orange character of the finishing balsamic.

Flavor Variations

• Pear: Replace Cranberry Orange White Balsamic with Pear White Balsamic for a softer orchard-fruit version that pairs naturally with pork, Dijon, and rosemary.

• Peach: Replace Cranberry Orange White Balsamic with Peach White Balsamic for a warm stone-fruit sauce that remains balanced and savory.

• Fig: Replace Cranberry Orange White Balsamic with Fig Dark Balsamic for a deeper, richer fall-style pan sauce with more body.

• Pomegranate: Replace Cranberry Orange White Balsamic with Pomegranate Dark Balsamic for a tangier, more robust sauce that cuts beautifully through the richness of the pork.

Pairings

Serve with roasted potatoes, wild rice, couscous, creamy polenta, roasted carrots, green beans, Brussels sprouts, or sautéed greens. Pinot Noir, dry Rosé, Chardonnay, or dry Riesling all work well with the cranberry-orange, rosemary, Dijon, and pork.

Build Your Plate

Turn these Cranberry Orange pork medallions into a complete dinner

The bright cranberry-orange pan sauce pairs especially well with a simple starch, roasted vegetables, and something green to balance the savory pork and rosemary-Dijon sauce.

Finished Meal

Cranberry Orange Pork Tenderloin Medallions with roasted potatoes, Brussels sprouts, sautéed greens, and extra rosemary-Dijon pan sauce

Protein

Pork tenderloin medallions quickly seared until golden and gently finished to 145°F in the skillet pan sauce

Vegetables & Sides

Roasted potatoes, wild rice, couscous, creamy polenta, Brussels sprouts, roasted carrots, green beans, or sautéed greens

Flavor Pairing

Cranberry Orange White Balsamic brings tart fruit and citrus while Garlic Mushroom Olive Oil adds savory depth to the seared pork

Recipe Notes

Slice the pork medallions as evenly as possible so they cook at approximately the same rate. Because medallions can vary slightly in size, check the smaller pieces first and remove them individually as they reach 145°F rather than waiting for every piece to finish at the same time.

The Cranberry Orange White Balsamic is intentionally divided. Use ¼ cup in the warm pan sauce and reserve the remaining 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon for the off-heat finish. This keeps part of the balsamic bright and fruit-forward instead of cooking all of its cranberry-orange character away.

If the pan sauce reduces too quickly, loosen it with a small splash of chicken broth. The finished sauce should lightly coat the pork rather than becoming syrupy.

The optional honey is intentionally minimal. Taste the completed sauce first; the Cranberry Orange White Balsamic may provide all the sweetness needed.

Leftovers may be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat gently over low heat with a small splash of broth to help prevent the lean pork from drying out.