I love pretty much anything that’s been Marsala-fied. It’s such an indispensable item to have in your liquor cabinet. It’s got a wonderful, rich depth of flavor when used for cooking, and it’s shelf stable – meaning that you can open it up, and it’ll keep fine un-refrigerated for years (not that a bottle ever makes it that long in our house). It comes in two varieties – sweet & dry. I usually buy the sweet, then balance out that sweetness with lemon juice when I’m doing a dish like this. Sweet Marsala is also great in dessert and other sweet recipes as well. So if you don’t have a bottle, pick one up – it’s handy to have on hand.
Chicken Marsala is pretty much my favorite dinner, and has been for years. But, in an effort to get less chicken – and more “other stuff” into our weekly menu I thought a Marsala twist on a pork tenderloin would be fun. Turned out to be alot easier than chicken marsala too, as the pork didn’t have to be pounded out to an even thickness – then coated and fried. Instead I took cues from this recipe – gave the tenderloin a little soak in the wine, then seared it off in the pan, cooked the mushrooms, added the wine, and finished it all off in the oven. It turned out delicious, and like I said – it was so much easier than the chicken version. And probably healthier too!
Pork Tenderloin Marsala
1 1/2 cups Marsala wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 pound pork tenderloin
2 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz sliced mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp butter
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine 1 cup Marsala wine, lemon juice, and 1 tsp of salt in a large resealable bag. Add the pork tenderloin and marinate for 30-60 minutes.
In a large ovenproof skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Remove tenderloin from the bag (reserving the marinade), and sear on all sides until browned – about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside on plate.
Add the remaining olive oil to the pan, and add the mushrooms – tossing to coat with the oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are starting to brown on the edges and release most of their liquid – about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and the tomato paste to the pan and cook for an additional minute.
Slowly pour the remaining Marsala wine to the pan, along with the chicken stock and leftover marinade. Bring to a boil and whisk in the butter until smooth, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Return the tenderloin to the pan, turning once to coat.
Carefully place the skillet in the oven, and bake for about 15-20 minutes – until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 135 degrees.
Remove from the oven and remove tenderloin to cutting board. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing into 3/4-inch slices and serving with the sauce.
