Pork Tenderloin Dijon Pan Sauce

The key to creating a flavorful sauce is in the pan drippings. We combined herbs, spices, and wine for a rich Dijon sauce that pairs well with pork tenderloin.

Active Time:
10 mins
Total Time:
10 mins
Yield:
4 (serving size: 2 Tbsp)

If you want to know the secret to creating the juiciest sauce, it's using your leftover pan drippings. Drippings provide so much flavor and take your dish to the next level. Making sauce from pan drippings is addictive, just like eating Mama's homemade biscuits—once you start you won't be able to stop.

Grab your handy nonstick skillet and prepare a pork tenderloin. After the tenderloin is cooked to perfection, place it on a platter. Whatever you do—do not clean your skillet, leave it, drippings and all. The drippings provide a flavorful foundation for our homemade Dijon pan sauce. 

We combined herbs, spices, and wine to create a rich velvety sauce that pairs exceptionally well with the tenderloin. Feel free to modify the ingredients—add a little more wine or switch out the herbs to complement your favorite flavor profile. Making homemade sauce from your leftover drippings is so easy and delivers an abundance of flavor that you'll be thinking, why didn't I start sooner?

Dijon Pan Sauce
Southern Living

Ingredients

  • 3 - 4 tablespoons pan drippings, bacon drippings or other fat such as duck fat or chicken fat

  • 1/4 cup chopped shallots

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • 1 tablespoon honey or light brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 1/2 cup dry white wine

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs of your choice

  • 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

  1. Heat pan drippings in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring often, 1-2 minutes or until shallots start to soften. Add mustard, honey, salt and pepper, and cook stirring often, 1 minute or until mixture bubbles. Add wine, whisking constantly, and use wooden spoon or spatula to loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook mixture 2 minutes or until wine mixture is reduced by half and mixture is slightly thickened.

  2. Over medium high heat, whisking constantly, add butter pieces gradually and incorporate into pan mixture until a sauce comes together. Once butter is incorporated, remove from heat and serve immediately.

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