Crispy Pork Medallions

This was one of those recipes where I was sold more on the photo in the magazine then by the title of the recipe or the description. Pork medallions? Boring. That picture  . . . . it made me HAVE to make them.

I'm glad that I did.

Sure, breaded pork medallions aren't that unusual - I've been eating breaded pork chops since I was a kid. What makes these unusual though is the mustard which adds a tanginess to the pork and helps the crust adhere to the meat. Then there is the crust - panko lends a crispyness that no breadcrumb could aspire to (if a breadcrumb were to aspire to crispiness, that is). The addition of fresh herbs adds another layer of flavour. Together these three things take the recipe from boring status to home run status.

Oh yes, did I say that it was a quick recipe? You can get these on the table in less than 45 minutes making it a perfect 'weeknight' meal.

Crispy Pork Medallions

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 8 medallions
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 450°.

Rub mustard evenly over pork medallions. Combine panko, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Dredge pork in panko mixture. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add pork; sauté 2 minutes or until golden brown. Turn pork. Place skillet in oven; bake at 450° for 8 minutes or until pork reaches 145°. Let stand 3 minutes.

Comments

[Kayte]

Mustard and pork just go together so well...this looks delicious. I happen to have everything for this on hand this very moment...thinking this is going to happen on Saturday, looks like good ball-game watching food to me, we always have a crowd for dinner on ballgame nights and I furnish the meat, everyone else brings the sides. Yep, this is going to be it for this week! Thanks.

[JDeQ]

You're right Kayte - a perfect combination!