Season budget-friendly pork tenderloin with Dijon mustard and spices for a quick and easy grilled supper.
I grew up in a pork-loving family. Sauerkraut and Spare Ribs, Pork Carnitas Tacos, and Pork Chops were frequent meals for our family. Mom was a 1980’s kind of cook, meaning that many of her dishes featured canned cream soups. As a young newlywed, I learned that my husband didn’t share the same tastes, particularly in these areas.
He’s not picky, mind you, we just had different tastes at the beginning. Our the last 21 years of marriage, we’ve helped each other grow. And honestly, he was right about the canned soups.
Nowadays I make my own white sauce to replace canned cream soups, and I’ve discovered a cut of pork that passes muster with my husband: pork tenderloin.
Pork Tenderloin is like the poorman’s steak. Okay, it’s not cheap, but I regularly find it between $2 and $4/pound, which is much lower than the price of beef these days. Cooked on the grill or sautéed in medallions, it serves as a star meat dish.
It’s now one of our favorite cuts of meat. Pork tenderloin is a great budget choice for summer grilling, in some cases, cheaper than hamburger!
Be sure not to overcook this cut. In recent years, the USDA has adjusted their recommendations for cooking pork. Use a meat thermometer so that your final product has an internal temperature between 145 and 160°. See this chart for recommended cooking temps for pork.
Use a rub and serve it with a fruity salsa, like I do here, or smear it with a paste of Dijon and herb seasonings for a tender and savory dish. (Use a different style mustard or a Whole-30 compliant mustard, like Annie’s or Organicville if you’re making this for the Whole 30.)
Serve this version of grilled pork tenderloin with a few side salads, steamed vegetables, and/or a potato dish, and you’re good to go.
Some of our favorite sides to go with pork tenderloin:
- Cheesy Potatoes (substitute this white sauce for the canned cream soup)
- Rebel with a Cause Smashed Potatoes
- White Bean Salad
- Easy Garlic Green Beans
Tools I use for this recipe:
Dijon Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lb pork tenderloin
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Heat an outdoor grill until very hot.
- In a large plate or dish, combine the Dijon, vinegar, garlic powder, oregano, and cayenne. Slowly add the olive oil and stir well to make a paste-like emulsion.
- Place the tenderloins in the dish and turn to coat well. Allow to rest up to ten minutes.
- Cook the tenderloins on the hot grill until the internal temperature reaches 145°. Turn once or twice during the cooking time, which should be 15 to 25 minutes, depending on how thin the tenderloins are. Slice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Melisa Burke says
Jessica,
Do you think I could cook this some other way than on a grill? We don’t have one.
Thanks.
Melisa
Jessica Fisher says
Yes, you could bake it at 375° for about 30 minutes.
Sandi says
chops were on sale at our Costco this weekend ($2.99/lb with $2.50 off package price) so I got some. Maybe I’ll try this on some of those. I love stuff like this, but the kid isn’t so fond of mustard so I wouldn’t want to make a whole roast this way. He could suffer thru a meal or two, though, especially if paired with sides he likes.
Jessica Fisher says
Yes! Pork chops would be great. I’m not so good at pork chops…. And I don’t think that the mustard flavor is overpowering, but I’ll be curious to hear what the kid has to say.
Sandi says
I made the full batch of paste since I wasn’t sure how the surface areas would compare when used on the approx 1.5 lbs of chops. I did not apparently have plain oregano, but herbs de Provence filled in spectacularly. I had a bit of the paste left over (which actually seemed a little thinner than I thought a paste would be) and hated to just waste it, so after the chops cooked (skillet on the stovetop), I used the rest of the paste with a bit of water and a bit of half and half and dumped in more HDP and simmered it into a sauce. (I had flashbacks of doing something similar with chicken eons ago) It came out fabulous, and the kid loved it! I served it with mashed potatoes and sauteed portabella mushrooms which were also faves and the whole meal was fabulous. I’m pretty sure I’ll be “allowed” to make that one again. 🙂
Jessica Fisher says
Well, YAY! That sounds awesome. I want some! Also, YES on the HdP. I wanted to do that, too, but I wondered if I was starting to bore you all with my herbes de provence. Great job, Sandi!