Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Mustard Sauce (and a bonus salad)

Pork tenderloin is one of those cuts of meat that can be cooked very easily on a fire. Our special spice rub gives the meat a delicious flavour and to top it off with homemade mustard sauce turns this dish into a gourmet meal.

We are going to show you what spices we use, how we cook the pork tenderloin on the fire as well as the creamy mustard sauce. In this week’s post, we have a bonus dish that promises to be one of the tastiest (and most beautiful) salads you’ve ever tasted (and seen).

Put it on the table – Spice rub:

The spice rub is very simple and you probably have all these spices in your cupboard.

Spice rub ingredients

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon crushed garlic/garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

salt and pepper to taste

After you have measured all the spices, put them into a small container and mix well. Set aside.

Put it on the table – Pork Tenderloin:

Pork tenderloin is also known as pork fillet. Tenderloin is not the same as pork loin, so be sure to ask your butcher for the correct cut when making this recipe. The pork tenderloin sometimes has a thin transparent membrane (known as silver skin) and we recommend that you cut this off before cooking.

Ingredients for pork tenderloin (some of the mustard sauce ingredients are in this photo as well – oops)

300g pork tenderloin

Spice rub (as above)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Coat the pork tenderloin with olive oil. Sprinkle the prepared spices over the tenderloin and rub it in well.

Pork tenderloin covered with olive oil and spice rub

Place the pork tenderloin on the hot coals and sear it on all sides. Turn it every now and then until it is cooked. If you want to test it with a thermometer to make sure it’s done, it should read 65°C/149°F.

Pork tenderloin on the coals (we had pork sausages as a snack)

Put it on the table – Creamy Mustard Sauce:

The creamy mustard sauce is quick to prepare – it basically just needs to be heated.

Ingredients for creamy mustard sauce

½ cup cream

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

2 teaspoons parsley, finely chopped

2 teaspoons dill, finely chopped

2 teaspoons basil, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

In a cast iron pan, add both mustards and salt and pepper. Add the cream and mix well.

Mustards and salt & pepper

Add the cream and mix well

When the sauce is hot, but not simmering, add the herbs. Mix it well. Don’t let it simmer, the sauce is now ready – that’s how quick and easy it is to prepare.

Add the herbs and the sauce is done

Slice the pork into 2cm slices and serve with the Creamy Mustard Sauce.

  • Bonus dish!

Put it on the table – Pineapple, onion & goat’s cheese salad:

There is no cooking process required here … but the salad has a more intense flavour when the pineapple and onions are grilled on the fire (you can also do this in a skillet on the stove).

Ingredients for the magic salad

½ pineapple, cut in long strips

1 red onion, cut in chunks

goat’s cheese

green leaves

Balsamic glaze

We string the pineapple and onion pieces on wooden skewers so they don’t fall through the grid into the fire. Turn it over a few times until it starts to colour, then take it off – it’s ready for the salad.

Pineapple and onion on the fire

Now it’s just a case of layering the salad. Green leaves at the bottom, then pineapple and onion and round it off with crumbled pieces of goat’s cheese. Drizzle some balsamic glaze over and voila … a salad you will definitely be making again!

Pineapple, onion & goat’s cheese salad

This meal is so easy and it looks impressive on a plate too – any guest in your house will feel very important when these dishes are served to them.

Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Mustard Sauce (and our magic salad)

It’s worth a closer look