herb mustard pork loin $14.01 recipe / $1.75 serving

herb mustard pork loin

$14.01 recipe / $1.75 serving

Hellooooooo new favorite recipe!! Not only is this one of the best things that I've ever tasted but it was also insanely simple to make. Super flavorful, tender, juicy, pretty to look at... what more do you want from a main dish? I really don't know. Oh, how about inexpensive? Yeah, it's that too.

I used inexpensive mustard for this recipe and it was still really delicious so don't think that you need to go out and buy a $5 bottle of fancy pants mustard to make it good. You can also further reduce the cost of this recipe by using a pork roast rather than tenderloin (tenderloins are one of the most expensive cuts of pork) or just wait till the tenderloins go on sale.

The fresh herbs really add a lot to this recipe so I would really try to get them if you can. Parsley is usually less than $1 per bunch and the fresh thyme I got was 2.88 for a pack. The good thing about thyme is that it is not a delicate herb so when you buy a fresh pack it lasts a really long time in the refrigerator or you can even freeze it. I have used sprigs from this one pack for a few recipes now and it's still over half full. Thyme is a good deal when purchased fresh.

The pork should marinate for at least 4 hours so plan this out ahead of time. Once that's done, the rest is a cinch.

The sauce is optional as the pork has a TON of flavor on its own. That being said, the sauce was so good that I was eating it straight out of the skillet like it was soup. Just sayin'...





Total Recipe cost: $14.01
Servings Per Recipe: 8 (3 medallions each)
Cost per serving: $1.75
Prep time: 20 min. Cook time: 40 min. Total: 1 hr. (4+ hrs marinating time)

MARINADE INGREDIENTS		COST
1/2 cup	mustard (dijon or spicy)	$0.53
1 Tbsp	olive oil	$0.10
3 sprigs	fresh thyme	$0.48
1 handful	parsley	$0.15
3 cloves	garlic	$0.06
2 (1 lb. each)	pork tenderloins	$9.56
SAUCE INGREDIENTS		COST
2 med	shallots	$0.99
2 Tbsp	olive oil	$0.20
1 tsp	bouillon	$0.10
1 cup	water	$0.00
3 sprigs	thyme	$0.48
2 Tbsp	dijon mustard	$0.13
8 oz.	sour cream	$1.19
to taste	fresh black pepper	$0.05
TOTAL		$14.01

STEP 1: In a bowl combine the 1/2 cup mustard, 1 Tbsp olive oil, minced garlic, thyme and parsley. Stir it up good. Place the pork loin in a large dish, coat it with the marinade, cover and refrigerate for at least four hours. Thyme leaves come off easily when you pinch the top and pull backward down the stem.

STEP 2: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet or glass dish with nonstick spray and place the pork loin inside. Scoop up any marinade left in the bowl and paste it over the meat. Roast for about 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

STEP 3: While the pork is roasting, make the sauce. Mince up the shallots and cook them in a skillet with 2 Tbsp of olive oil until they are soft. Add the bouillon, water, 2 Tbsp of dijon and thyme. Let simmer for about 10 minutes (volume will reduce during this time). Turn off the heat then whisk in the sour cream. Season with fresh black pepper.

STEP 4: Let the pork rest for at least 5 minutes after you take it out of the oven to let the juices redistribute. Slice on an angle into medallions about .75 inch thick. Plate the medallions and spoon sauce over top.

The tangy mustard will go great with Wild Rice Dressing and Cranberry Sauce for a non-traditional Thanksgiving dinner!

Step By Step Photos

I only cooked one of my pork loins and froze the other. All recipe quantities and prices are for two.


Start with 1/2 cup of mustard. I had both dijon and spicy coarse ground in my fridge so I used half and half. Just don't use regular yellow mustard.


Get some fresh parsley and thyme. You'll only need to chop up about a handful of parsley and 3-5 sprigs of thyme.


Combine the mustard, thyme, parsley, minced garlic and 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a bowl.


Stir up the marinade good. Place the pork in a dish and coat with the marinade. Cover the dish, place it in the refrigerator and let it marinate for at least 4 hours.


This is the pork tenderloin I used, it comes in a pack of two. I made one today and froze the other. Even though I purchased the most expensive cut of pork at full price, this recipe is still a good bargain!


After it has marinated and you're ready to roast, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Transfer the pork to a baking sheet or glass dish and make sure to get all the marinate on the pork. Roast in the oven for about 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160 when placed in the thickest part.


This is what it looked like when it was done... not so pretty, YET. Make the sauce while it's cooking.


While the pork is roasting, you can make the sauce. Mince up a couple of shallots. If you don't know what a shallot is, go here. They're those brown things that look like a cross between garlic and onions.


Cook the shallots down in a little olive oil until soft.


Mix up one cup of chicken broth (1 tsp bouillon and 1 cup water).


Add the broth, 2 Tbsp of mustard, pepper and thyme. Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes, during which time the volume will reduce.


Turn the heat off and whisk in the sour cream. The end! Quick, easy and YUMMY sauce!


I'm trying desperately to figure out how I can pass this off as soup. It was that delicious! If you want it spicy or tangier, you can whisk in more mustard.


When the pork is done roasting, remove it from the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes before slicing into medallions.


Sooo good.