Pork Marsala

Create a tasty Pork Marsala dish using tenderloin medallions, mushrooms, cream and Marsala. It takes just minutes and tastes great.

Pork Marsala: Start with Tenderloin Medallions

I’m not exactly sure you’ll find this dish anywhere in Italy, unless it’s up in the north where they use more butter and cream in their cooking. But Marsala is a main ingredient here, so I’m making it an honorary Italian dish.

First, cut your pork tenderloin crosswise into medallions about one inch thick. They’ll look like the pork pieces on the left in the picture above. Place each medallion in a plastic bag and, using the flat side of a meat  mallet, pound the pieces until they’re about 1/4″ thick.

Heat a tablespoon each of butter and olive oil in a skillet. Lightly dredge the pork pieces in seasoned flour and sauté them in batches, 2-3 minutes on each side. Add more oil and butter for the second batch. Keep the meat tented on a plate while you continue the recipe–or on a plate in a warm oven. Your call.

Next, toss your mushrooms into the pan and sauté them 6-7 minutes in order to accomplish two things: release their water and release their flavor. If forgot to photograph my mushrooms as they were cooking. (I mean, I can’t think of everything.)   Add a tablespoon of oil, the shallots and the garlic to the mushrooms and cook 2-3 minutes longer. Stir in the flour and cook one more minute.

Add the Marsala and deglaze the pan as the mushroom mixture cooks further, scraping up brown bits from the bottom. Stir in the half-and-half and simmer for 2 minutes. Return the meat to the pan and heat through. (Don’t over-cook as the sauce will become too thick.) Sprinkle the minced parsley over the mixture and serve.

I don’t think photos do justice to cream-based dishes but this is a lovely dish. And the Marsala gives it a very nice flavor. If you want to read about Marsala wine, made in Marsala, Sicily, you can do so right here. Enjoy.