Giangi's Kitchen

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Pork tenderloin scaloppine with balsamic citrus sauce. Doesn’t it just sound divine?

We all have our favorite dishes that, no matter what, always are fail-proof and can satisfy the hungriest of appetites. I have a few of those recipes up my sleeves.

My personal secret arsenal to a night where I do not want to spend any time in my kitchen. I know that you know what I am referring to, right?

Tonight’s recipe of Pork Tenderloin Scaloppine with Balsamic Citrus Sauce has been my staple for the past 30 years or so. Never gets old. Never out of style.

Quick and super delicious, this dish will bring a smile to all who will enjoy it.

Pork Tenderloin

My favorite cut of pork. As you can see by now, I have shared quite a few recipes using pork tenderloin with all of you.

Pork tenderloin, also known as pork fillet or pork tender, is the long, narrow, boneless cut of meat that comes from the muscle and runs along the backbone.

Each tenderloin averages one pound.  Very tender meat with a delicate flavor. It is the most tender cut of pork.

This cut is best cooked rather quickly over high heat. Before cooking it, you should trim it by removing the tough silver-like skin and any filaments. I like to remove also any small remnants of fat from it.

An excellent piece also to use with marinades.  Excellent on the grill, seared, roasted, and cooked in a stir-fry.

Because the meat is so lean, be careful not to overcook it.

You can see now why I love this cut of pork. So many wonderful uses and so many recipes that can be adapted to it.

Do not confuse it with Pork  Loin.

Which is not cut from the same part of the animal and does look completely different as well.  The pork loin is wide enough that you can cut it into steak-like pieces from it. More adaptable for stews,  slow roasted in the oven.

Usually, you can find this cut of meat between two to five pounds. Lean with a mild flavor and quite tender if cooked properly.  Always a small cap of fat on the top.

Sold either boneless or bone-in.

Citrus or Orange Sauce

Navel oranges are the sweetest ones to use with this dish. Hands down, the best. If none are on hand, you can replace them with mandarines or tangerines.

Make sure they are sweet.  Squeeze as much of the pulp as you can, and you will love me for it.

The orange zest at the end lifts the sauce to a new level. Not overpowering, but just the final touch to an already perfect dish.  Zest it before squeezing it.

I would not recommend using orange marmalade as it is too strong and too sweet for this recipe.

Balsamic Vinegar

I do not use balsamic vinegar often. However, when I do, I splurge and buy a bit more expensive type. As you know, a little bit goes a long way.  Just a tablespoon will give this dish that beautiful rich flavor and color. Combined with the honey, the two make this dish sauce extremely delicious to your taste buds.

TIPS

A whole pork tenderloin feeds four people. When slicing it makes around sixteen slices, so each person can enjoy four each. I slice the pork tenderloin into about 1/2 inch thick slices.

• When pounding the slices, I would recommend using either plastic wrap or parchment paper. Place the wrap on your board, place a slice over it, and place or bring over the wrap and pound them.  As you pound them you do not want to stick to your cutting board. They only need a couple of coups from your meat pounder.
• These scaloppines are cut thinner than medallions and cook rather quickly. Do not walk away after you put them in the pan.
• To keep them warm, place them on a baking dish, cover them and place them in the oven at 125F. You do not want them to overcook. But just stay warm.
• I would suggest using thongs to turn the pork, much easier to turn them as well as pick them up.
• The sauce cooks rather fast. Make sure that boil it down. You want the flavors to be intensified and not a liquid sauce.
• When adding the heavy cream, stir consistently to ensure that it will not break down because of the acidity from the oranges.
• If you do not place the scaloppine in the oven, you can add them for 30 or so seconds to the saucepan to warm them up.

No need to use a meat thermometer with this recipe.

The scaloppines are so thin they will be completely cooked with a minimum cooking time.

So… here it is. Quick and easy, and delicious from my kitchen to yours.  My only advice is to have all the ingredients ready before cooking the pork tenderloin, as the cooking takes less than 10 minutes.

You can prepare a mixed green salad, mashed potatoes, or roasted potatoes as a side dish. White rice with butter, you may want to add peas for fun, goes well too, as it plays wonderfully with the sauce.

Couscous is wonderful also and super easy for a busy school night.

Just remember, whatever side dish you choose, start cooking them first.

If you enjoy this pork tenderloin recipe, check out these flavorful recipes:

Spinach Salad with Citrus

Scaloppine al Marsala

Pork Marbella

Pork Chops with Mushrooms Ragu

Equipment and ingredients used to make this delicious dish

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