Pecan Encrusted Pork Tenderloin With Mustard Cream Sauce

This is an excellent recipe created by a collegue. It is incredible. He says it is a pretty fool proof recipe. We have used it for elegant dinners because the flavors and textures are so interesting and the taste is wonderful. We like to serve it with a wild rice, sautéed onion and mushroom mixture, and oven-roasted asparagus with garlic. We also have served it with garlic mashed potatoes as a substitute for the rice. That is a good combination too.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 6-10

Ingredients

• 2 (12 -14 ounce)  pork tenderloin
• 2 -3  egg whites
• 2  teaspoons  honey mustard
• 2  cups flour
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon pepper
• 2  cups  coarsely chopped pecans
• 2  cups  plain breadcrumbs
• 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
• 1⁄2 cup mustard

Directions

1. Trim silver skin and as much fat as possible from the tenderloins. The first thing makes it more tender, the second thing makes it healthier.
2. Whip egg whites until frothy, then add a good quality mustard (honey mustard is a favorite of ours) to the mixture and beat until well blended.
3. On one side of the bowl with whipped egg whites, have flour mixed with salt and pepper.
4. On the other side of the egg bowl, have mixture of half coarsely chopped pecans and plain bread crumbs.
5. Just beyond the tray that has the pecan/breadcrumb mixture, have a roasting pan that has been sprayed with vegetable oil.
6. Dredge the tenderloins through the flour until coated, then dip in the egg mixture, roll in the pecan/breadcrumb mixture and place in the roasting pan. This is really messy, so much so that I almost invariably wash my hands between tenderloins.
7. Don’t worry too much about how this looks, but be sure that the tenderloin is pretty much covered with the pecan/breadcrumb mixture.
8. Spray the exposed parts of the roast with a little vegetable oil. This will help crisp up the crust while baking.
9. Bake in a 425 or 450 degree oven until the internal temperature is about 160 degrees. We do use a meat thermometer when we make this recipe. Usually 25-35 minutes,.
10. Remove from oven and let sit for about 10 minutes.
11. Meanwhile, in a sauce pan combine equal parts of heavy cream and the same mustard you combined with the egg whites. Heat this mixture stove top until it thickens a bit.
12. Slice the tenderloins (about ½ to ¾ inches thick is about right), trying to keep as much of the crust on the meat as possible. Some will come off. Don’t worry about it.
13. If you are serving family style, lay the pieces on a platter and then drizzle the sauce over pieces. If you are serving restaurant style, place 1-3 pieces on a plate, drizzle sauce over the pieces, and then around them.