Name: creamy pork tenderloin mushroom marsala
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed; 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 2 tablespoons salted butter, divided; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour ((or gluten-free all-purpose flour)); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved ((or quartered, if very large)); 2 tablespoons minced shallots; 2 teaspoons minced or grated garlic; 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour ((or gluten-free all-purpose flour)); 1/2 cup Marsala wine; 1 cup half-and-half; 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley, for garnish

Who knew you could make delicious cutlets from pieces of pork tenderloin? It’s true. Creamy Pork Tenderloin Mushroom Marsala. Once you get a sampling of one of these golden portions of meat smothered with a rich sauce of mushrooms, cream and Marsala wine, you’ll wonder why you haven’t tried this before now.

If you’re fairly organized, this can be ready in under an hour …just the time you need to roast some potatoes.

The first step is to prepare the meat. Before cutting the tenderloin into sections, be sure to remove the white fibrous outer layer from the tenderloin. Slide a knife directly under the skin and run it in one direction, removing the fibrous layer but not the meat. This “silver skin” cannot break down during the cooking process. Leaving it on the meat can make your dish chewy and tough.

Once trimmed and if your pork tenderloin is very large at about one-and-a-half pounds, cut it into six equal pieces. You may only have access to smaller pieces of meat, so that you would use two tenderloins cutting each into three equal pieces. To butterfly each section of meat, cut down the middle without cutting all the way through …like creating an open book. Spread open each piece to flatten it. You’ll then place each piece between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them with a meat mallet to an even thickness somewhere between 1/4” to 1/2”.

The flattened pieces of meat are then dredged in a flour mixture and quickly sautéed in a blend of butter & olive oil, resulting in a delicious crispy coating. The golden cutlets are set aside and kept warm.

This is where you can make this to suit your family’s needs. With an easy swap of flour, this Creamy Pork Tenderloin Mushroom Marsala becomes gluten-free.

While the pork cutlets are cooking, it’s a good time to prep the rest of the ingredients since things come together quickly. When I have a recipe that calls for minced garlic, I like to use my lemon zester or grater to get that job done. It works really well when you want to avoid large chunks of garlic in your finished dish.

The mushrooms are added to the same pan with all of the meat drippings. Once they are softened, the shallots and garlic are added along with a bit more oil.

Once the veggies are tender, a tablespoon of flour is mixed in followed by the Marsala wine to deglaze the pan. Using a wooden spoon or spatula is helpful in scraping up any browned bits that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan. Don’t want to lose any of that goodness.

At this point, it’s a good idea to do a taste test. You may want to add some salt & freshly ground black pepper. It’s all about seasoning it to your personal taste. Then the half-and-half is added as the final ingredient.

This sauce is definitely rich and creamy. If you prefer, you can change this up by cutting down on the amount of half-and-half …simply replace the omitted amount with beef broth.

The perfect accompaniment to Creamy Pork Tenderloin Mushroom Marsala is roasted potatoes and some steamed green broccoli. Picture perfect, I’d say.

creamy pork tenderloin mushroom marsala

Pieces of pork tenderloin are pounded thin then pan-fried to perfect crispiness. The creamy topping is loaded with flavor and texture. Great option for a weeknight meal.

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Author Rosemary Stelmach

Ingredients

FOR THE PORK

1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons salted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour)

FOR THE SAUCE

1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved (or quartered, if very large)
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons minced or grated garlic
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions

FOR THE PORK

Cut the trimmed tenderloin into six equal pieces. Butterfly each piece by cutting down the middle, stopping before cutting through. Spread open each piece of pork, like opening a book. Place pieces between sheets of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound each piece to an even thickness, about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch.
Heat one tablespoon of the oil along with one tablespoon of the butter in a sauté pan over medium-high.
Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge pork pieces in the flour mixture, shaking off excess. Saute' half the pork in the oil mixture, until the meat is lightly browned, about 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the sautéed pork to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and butter to the pan.. Sauté the rest of the pork; transfer to the same plate to keep warm.

FOR THE SAUCE

Add the tablespoon of oil to the same pan. Add the mushrooms; sauté until softened and browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic to the pan; cook until softened for about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tablespoon of flour; cook for about one minute.
Deglaze the pan with the Marsala wine, scraping up any brown bits. Cook the sauce over low heat until the liquid is reduced by about half. Stir in the half-and-half; simmer for about 5 minutes.
Return the meat and juices from the plate to the pan; heat through. (See Recipe Notes for alternative method of serving.)
Place pork on plates and top with the sauce. Garnish with the minced fresh parsley.

Recipe Notes

FOR GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: Substitute the regular flour with gluten-free all-purpose flour.

ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF SERVING: If you enjoy the crispiness of the coating, transfer the mushroom sauce to a bowl. Wipe out the skillet; reheat the pork cutlets until warmed through. A small portion of mushroom marsala sauce is then added to each when serving, as seen in the photos.

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I have personally experienced all of these products, and I recommend them because I have found them to be of superior quality. We appreciate your support.