Delicious pork loin steaks in under 20 minutes? Yes, please!!
One of the most vivid memories I have of my my mom’s kitchen is her working magic on a piece of pork…aka mercilessly pounding it with a meat mallet.
Before you jump to any conclusions let me explain…Her meat mallet was absolutely gorgeous.
It was a two-sided tool with a mini hatchet on one side and a tiny mallet on the other, its long stainless steel neck gradually turned into an elegant incrusted handle with a colourful intricate design.
That hatchet/mallet was the most feminine thing you would ever see, which place would be more appropriate in a jewellery box than hanging off a wall in the kitchen.
My grandma had a similar one but the incrusted handle had a different design.
I can’t remember the story behind them but I have no doubt it’s no less spectacular than the mallets themselves. I wanted to nick it ever since Brad proposed and I started to put together a wedding registry. In other words, I wanted it to be “my precious” for ages.
I never did get a regular mallet for myself as I kept waiting for my mom to gift hers to me, so meat went “untenderised” for a while until Oxo Good Grips sent me this tool.
How do I make pork chops tender?
Excellent question. The tenderness of pork depends on the cut as with most meat. Pork loin or pork tenderloin yields the best texture in my opinion.
You can also use a meat tenderiser to aid the process.
The meat tenderiser I’ve used is by OXO. Instead of using brutal force of a regular meat mallet, it tenderises meat by piercing it with multiple sharp blades with a light push of a hand.
What I missed is beating the heck out of my meat and getting all kinds of negative energy out. What I loved is tender and flavourful meat that cooks in half the time.
Because this tenderiser doesn’t flatten meat like a regular mallet it keeps it thick and juicy while little slits allow for your seasoning to go deep, which contributes to rich flavour, it also dramatically reduces cooking time.
Next time I am using tenderiser I am going to throw these babies into some kind of marinade. Now summer needs to hurry up and bring the barbecue season.
How do I cook pork loin steaks?
For now I just rubbed some sea salt into these pork loin steaks and went on my merry way to make the sauce. Please, tell me you are still with me.
I know I am a little wordy today but I have a lot of good things to say. Namely, this sauce. It needs to be on your dinner menu soon.
It only takes 10 minutes to make but rich and deep flavours will make your friends and family think it took you hours to develop them.
After you rubbed your pork loin steaks with some sea salt grab yourself a cast iron pan or a stainless steel one and heat a tablespoon of olive oil in it, then brown your steaks in it for no longer than 2 minutes on each side.
How do I make a sauce for pork chops?
Chop some shallots and large field mushrooms or portobello mushrooms or anything you like. Remove your meat on a separate plate and set aside.
To the same pan add shallots and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly to avoid burning for 3 minutes, then add mushrooms and chopped rosemary and cook for 5 more minutes.
When the juices evaporate hit the pan with a splash of cognac or brandy and scrape the burnt bits with a wooden spoon.
Add stock, whole grain mustard, creme fraiche and return pork loin steaks to the pan, bring to a boil, let it simmer for a minute or two and take it off the heat. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
What can I serve with pork loin steaks?
Enjoy with rice or potatoes. Or you can make this sweet potato and swede/rutabaga mash if you desire to be a tiny bit healthier. The taste is so luxurious, you won’t believe it came together so quickly and easily!
If you make my Pork Loin Steaks recipe, I would love to see your photos! Tag me @vikalinka on Instagram when you are sharing your delicious plates! Are you following me on Instagram? If not, let’s be friends!
Ingredients
- 4 pork loin steaks
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots chopped
- 2-3 large field mushrooms or portobello mushrooms chopped
- 2 rosemary sprigs chopped
- a splash of cognac or brandy optional
- 1/4 cup stock pork or chicken
- 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard
- 200 g / 2/3 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rub your pork loin steaks with some sea salt.
- In a cast iron pan or a stainless steal pan heat a tablespoon of olive oil and brown your steaks in it for no longer than 2 minutes on each side.
- Remove your meat on a separate plate and set aside.
- To the same pan add shallots and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly to avoid burning for 3 minutes, than add mushroom and chopped rosemary and cook for 5 more minutes.
- When shallot and mushroom juices evaporate and the pan is dry, hit it with a shot of cognac while scraping the burnt bits with a wooden spoon.
- Add stock,whole grain mustard, creme fraiche and stir to combine.
- Return pork loin steaks to the pan, bring to a boil and let it simmer for 2 minutes longer and take the pan off the heat. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Enjoy with rice or potatoes.
This recipe is absolutely brilliant!!! I tried it and I felt like my dinner was as good as a restaurant meal. So easy to prepare and make. It’s one of my favourite meals now. Thank you
Thank you so much for such brilliant feedback. Thrilled you enjoyed it!
Absolutely magnificent recipe. Restaurant quality that. I added a hint of thyme along with the rosemary, as I love thyme, and used single cream instead of double, but aside from that stuck to the recipe an it blew my socks off, as it did my dogs who had a bit of the pork as well for bein a good lad today! I served with rice and sauteed carrots with sage.
10 out of 10 all day long.
Your comment truly made my day, Matt! Thank you!
Loved this! Easy, quick & delicious. Served with baked potato & garlic butter green beans. Lovely
Thank you so much for such a great review, Jodie.
Lovely recipe. Used spiced rum instead of brandy and it was delicious.
Thank you for a great review, Shelley!
Incredibly well received! Only had a few mushrooms so used peppers and leeks as well. Also used cider as had no cognac. Ate it with paprika roasted potatoes. Yummy!
Love all your additions, Ellie! Cider is great in pork dishes!
I added red pepper and leeks which were altogether amazing, definitely doing this again, delicious
Thanks so much, John! Thrilled you enjoyed it!
Made this with cider instead of brandy and it was delicious! Thanks for posting this lovely simple recipe!
Cider is an excellent choice here, Iain! So glad you enjoyed it.
I made this tonight for myself and two hungry men. I did get 6 pork loin steaks that were about 2” thick. I pounded them with meat on textured side mallet to about 1 1/4” and followed recipe from there except for the following alterations, partly due to more steaks. I didn’t have shallots so I chopped 1/2 of a sweet onion. Didn’t have brandy or cognac, so I simply used chicken stock. I used the fresh rosemary and whole prepared mustard seeds but also seasoned with a salt free lemon pepper garlic mix to taste. I didn’t have heavy cream or creme fraishe so I substituted half and half and sour cream. Everyone loved it. Easy and quick recipe & great for anyone strapped for time. Thank-you! Glad I found your recipe.
Great alterations, Trish! I am so happy to hear everyone loved it!
Loved this recipe – made my sauce with onions as I didn’t have shallots, and cream instead of creme fraiche! Beautiful. Many thanks! 😍
My pleasure, Patsy. So glad you loved the recipe!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Such a delicious, quick and easy dish. I used pork tenderloins and it was just as yummy.
Thank you for your feedback, Despina!!
Cooked this tonight, it was fabulous! Used Honey Jack Daniels and garlic. Recommend this very much, thin pork loins cooked to perfection. Thank you
Thanks so much for this review, Kim!
Lick your plate Yummy good!!
So glad to hear it, June!! It’s one of our favourites!
My wife, our kids and their partners love this. Making it again tonight as everyoje is coming for dinner. Thank you ☺
I am so happy to hear that, Callum! This recipe is one of our regulars as well!
I am thinking of making this dish for mother’s day for some extended family that likes to visit vs have me in front of the stove (I’m always happy to be at the stovetop). I am thinking of making the sauce earlier in the day and then reheating it while I cook the pork. I figure I could cook the pork to 80%, stir the pork juices into the sauce at the end, and finish off the pork in the simmering sauce. Maybe 10 minutes of stove top time instead of 25. Do you think this would take away from the dish in any way?
Hi Liz, that’s a good question. I am not sure it’s the best way to cook this recipe though. The flavour in the sauce doesn’t come only from the pork juices but mostly from deglazing the pan after you sear the meat. That’s where all the savoury notes in the sauce are from. I would actually cook the entire dish and then reheat it if you are trying to prep ahead. Best, Julia
Can this dish be frozen or kept in the fridge for a few hours or does it have to be served immediately?
You can absolutely freeze this dish, John but bare in mind that you always lose some of the sauce when reheating, so just add a splash of water when you do.
Really tasty dish even the kids enjoyed it, can’t say I followed your quantities I never measured anything out and used double cream, the left over sauce is in the fridge and going on top of my steak tomorrow
Sounds great, Michael! Thank you for your review.
Ahhhhhhhh! This sauce was freaking amazing! Absolutely gorgeous! Even my very very picky 10-yr old begged for more! We love pork and I’ve made every pork recipe under the sun and disappoint. I have only 3 that I continually come back to. But now I have 4!
I didn’t have whole grain mustard so I used yellow mustard powder and that just made the sauce. I’m almost afraid to try it without now! And to cut calories I used evaporated milk and it was still excellent. Thank you!
My only question was the cooking time. Perhaps steaks are much thinner. I used Loin chops and they needed twice the cooking time. Or did I mess up? After the 2 minutes searing per side and then 2 more in the sauce, the juices were very pink still, so I covered and simmered 5 minutes.
I am so thrilled to hear the pork steaks were loved by all, Tara! The cooking time does depend on the thickness but also on the size. My steaks were no bigger than 3 oz each. Now that I think about it I should’ve put that in the recipe!
Hubby and I had this for dinner tonight and it was so delicious. We followed your time guides for the pork which was cooked to juicy perfection and it all came together beautifully served over mashed potatoes. This is definitely going on my dinner party menu. Thank you for sharing such a yummy comforting recipe 🙂
Oh I love hearing that, Michelle!! Enjoy!!
This is a great recipe. I’ve made it several times. Superb. Thanks.
Thanks Geoff! I am so pleased to hear you love the recipe.
I’ve made this so many times (including tonight) and it is still fantastic. The bread comes out at the end to mop up the sauce, it is so, so, good. A brilliant dish. Thank you.
That is so great, Geoff. I am glad to hear this dish doesn’t get old!
I made these and they were ridiculously delicious!
This is an amazing dish. My husband loves pork and adores this! Making it for the second time tonight. Doubled the recipe and added some garlic. Didn’t have any Brandy so I used a splash of red wine. Delicious..thank you!
I am so happy to hear it, Laurie. I need to make it again soon! It’s getting pretty cold out and comfort food makes it a bit more bearable!
Made this tonight and it was amazing! I only had bone in pork loin so couldn’t hammer it out as much, but will get the boneless loins next time. Or try chicken, sounds like that worked also. We used Cremini mushrooms and a few morels. So good! My only adjustment was to add a bit of flour as mine wasn’t as thick. I also had to use dried rosemary as I forgot to buy fresh sprigs.
Definitely a quick dinner that looks, and tastes, far fancier. It’s been saved to my “Made it Loved it” board.
That’s such great feedback, Elizabeth!I can only imagine how much flavour morels added to the sauce. Thank you for letting me know.The thickness of the sauce will depend on whether you used cream or creme fraiche. I used creme fraiche that is already pretty thick but adding flour always helps! 🙂
I’m always wary of creamy sauces because my husband is lactose intolerant so I have to sub lactose free milk and it usually doesn’t work well (but I love them so I keep trying)… but this was an exception. My husband was saying “mmm” throughout the meal. He hates mushrooms too but will try anything I cook. He asked me to add it to our list – which is huge. Anyway, I’m very impressed. So yummy and very quick. Great date night meal to make together after the kids are in bed. Thanks for sharing.
What a great story! Thank you for sharing, Jessika!
This sauce is to die for! I was making it for my family and knew the thyme would not go over with my kids, so I left it out. I also used a little wine rather than cognac (none on hand). Served it with mashed potatoes and English peas and everyone devoured it and asked me to make it again. A keeper in my rotation 🙂
So great to hear, Hope! My daughter is not a big fan of rosemary but use it anyway. I’ve noticed both of my kids eventually get used to stronger flavours and then start enjoying them. 🙂
There is no rhyme in this recipe Hope. 🙂
Oops, *thyme
Nope, just rosemary. 🙂
Made this with Gran Marnier (didn’t have any non-orange cognac) and it was delicious! Thanks for the recipe – good classic French combo!
Happy to hear you loved it even with Grand Marnier, Kristin! 🙂
I just made this tonight and it is delicious. Thanks so much for sharing!
So happy you enjoyed theses pork loins, Bernadette!
Outstanding dish! My husband LOVES the sauce! At the end of August, I will be preparing the sauce with pork tenderloin and chicken to serve to 60 people at a wedding shower! Hoping everyone loves it as much as we do!
Lovely! Thank you for sharing, Lisa.
I saw this recipe and wanted to try it because my husband loves pork and I don’t really cook much of it. Tried it tonight and it was FABULOUS! Husband and I both loved it and it was so easy! I even used rosemary from my garden. I used half and half to cut the calories a bit and it was a little more thin than it would have been with the cream but still so yummy! This is a keeper! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Thank you for sharing this, Donna. I am so happy you loved the recipe!
It was deee – lish !
YESSSS!!!
I cannot wait to try this — it looks so creamy, satisfying, and delicious. And your photos are stunning! I’m so intrigued by that super cool tenderizer too. Love this so much, Julia!
Thank you, Cynthia! You are as always one of the most encouraging and enthusiastic people I’ve come across! 🙂
OMG! I made this last night for my little family……I swapped the pork for chicken as we don’t eat a lot of pork. It was so tasty and so simple to make! Took me no time at all and i was cooking for 5! Thank you so much for providing such a simple but lavish dish x
Thank you for such a gorgeous review, Nicola! I am so pleased you found the recipe easy and delicious. Thank you for reading. x
That sauce sounds absolutely mouthwatering, what fantastic flavors!
Thank you, Laura! 🙂
Looks delish!!! Cant help but remember all the times spent in the kitchen cooking with my great-grandma!
Oh wow, that is precious, Janna! Sadly, I never knew my great-grandma.
Lovely Julia. I love skillet dinners like this! (And that OXO tenderiser is a nifty tool 🙂
Thank you, Jennifer! I love them too. So quick and flavours could be easily changed by switching ingredients. 🙂
Lovely sauce but the steaks a bit too rare for the family’s tastes. Will pop them in the oven once seared rather than set them aside next time.
Hi Chris, the doneness of the steaks depends on how thick they are, steaks will continue cooking in the sauce and shouldn’t be rare at all.
I thought the same thing too, only 4 minutes too cook. The recipe says to bring the sauce to a boil & simmer 2 more minutes. I’d either have to pan fry longer or simmer much longer. I could never eat pork so rare.
My pork steaks are not rare, they are however juicy. Steaks continue cooking from the residual heat even after you remove them from the pan and then in the sauce while it’s getting to a boiling point and during the simmer. Cooking time greatly depends on the thickness of the steaks and if yours are thicker and need more time then by all means adjust it accordingly.