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Mary Anne here. This past Sunday was my birthday, and in my family, if your special day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, you’re automatically entitled to a two-day “birthday weekend.” I dove headlong into queen mode, taking full advantage and squeezing every last second out of my 48-hour party.
To kick-start the festivities, I spent a magical Saturday with my favorite girl – eh hem, Mariel – and had the pleasure of watching her ride a three-year-old thoroughbred fresh off the racetrack. Mariel won’t toot her own horn, but she can’t stop me from bragging (except in her edits) and I have to tell you she has an incredibly gentle yet masterful way when training both horses and dogs. She is the quintessential “animal whisperer,” and she has understood their unspoken language from the time she was a tot. I could really wax on here, but I sense her delete trigger finger will be aching to excise.
Anyway, it was just one of those perfect mom-daughter days that started at the crack of dawn and went into the early evening hours. Naturally, shopping and lunch were involved along the way, but I digress. The point is, Michael knew that my Saturday would be brimming with activity and so he decided to surprise me by preparing dinner on the eve of my birthday. When I arrived home, dusty, dirty, and literally glowing from a day well-spent, the man was busy at the stove working on this ginger-infused Balsamic reduction. The aroma was heavenly and while it technically serves four, I think I devoured two full portions myself!
The pork cooks quickly – the whole meal takes about 30 minutes – and the meat is tender and juicy. We served this with Mango Salsa on the side, but our Peach Relish would be an equally delicious accompaniment . Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries round out this feast-worthy meal quite nicely. Hope you had an equally merry weekend!
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Sautéed Pork Medallions with a Ginger-Infused Balsamic Reduction
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless pork tenderloin, cut into ½-inch thick slices (Err on the side of thicker for this.) – $5.99
2½ Tablespoons olive oil, divided – stock
1 large shallot, minced (about 2 Tablespoons) – $0.39
1 clove garlic, minced – stock
1 teaspoon ground ginger – stock
2½ teaspoons packed, light brown sugar – stock
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard – stock
1 cup Balsamic vinegar – stock
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste – stock
Grand Total Assuming a Well-Stocked Pantry: $6.38
Total Per Serving: $1.59
Directions:
1. In a medium pan, heat 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil over medium flame. Add the shallots and sauté for about 2-3 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and sprinkle with the ground ginger. Stirring constantly, sauté an additional 1-2 minutes.
2. Add the vinegar and mustard to the onion mixture. Bring to a boil and cook at a high simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced by half; about 10 minutes. The liquid will thicken to a syrup-like consistency. Set aside.
3. In a large sauté pan, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork medallions and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. (If the slices are thicker than a ½-inch, adjust the cooking time accordingly.)
4. Stir in the Balsamic reduction, coating each medallion. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.
Happy belated!
This looks AMAZING! I love pork so much… great way to prepare it!
This looks like a great recipe, and I love the ginger in it! Happy Cooking!
Looks delicious! I love your site!
You two never fail to impress me with your cooking genius. This looks positively mouthwatering!
How thoughtful of Michael !~ I made this “Sans” the brown sugar– it was so=o o delicious!~Thank you , Michael !
Happy belated birthday Mary Anne! What a perfect way to spend a birthday…with Mariel and a gorgeous surprise dinner by Michael, what else could you ask for. 😉
Happy Birthday! Pork is my favorite meat, always happy to add another pork recipe to my repertoire!
Happy Birthday!! and yes, THIS is totally worth making the effort!!!
Happy Birthday!! What a delicious meal… finger lickin’ good!
Just refreshed my balsamic supply and now I’m on a mission. Happy belated birthday!
Am I missing something or is the quantity of Balsamic Vinegar missing? I don’t see it shown anywhere. Please help – I’m looking forward to making this recipe!
So sorry about that. Michael used 1 cup of Balsamic and then it gets reduced, as we wrote in the recipe. Thanks so much for pointing out our over sight. Hope you enjoy this one! Best, Mary Anne
Thanks for the quick response! I made this for dinner last night and it was wonderful!!! I brought leftovers to the office today and my lunch companions raved about how good it smelled and looked! I made it with oven-roasted potatoes and sauteed some spinach in the skillet I used to make the reduction. GREAT meal and met all my criteria: quick, inexpensive and delicious! This is a definite keeper!
Rick
San Antonio
Wohoo, Rick! You just totally made my day. It is always wonderful when someone enjoys one of our creations as much as we do. Thank you so much for taking the time to write us. Cheers! M&M
Hey Mary Anne and Mariel. My mother just sent me your website. It seems that we are cousins! My grandmother and your mother, Liz, were sisters. I love to cook and love your website. And if that weren’t enough, our youngest loves horses also. She rides and shows regularly. Sure wish we loved closer…we’re in Georgia.
Anyway, this recipe for pork medallions sounds heavenly. We love balsamic vinegar and ginger. I was wondering if fresh ginger would be good in the recipe or should I just stick to the powder.
Take care,
Louise
Hey there, cuzzin! I don’t know if you remember, but you and your brother visited us when Mariel was about 3! I heard from your mom last week and was thrilled to reconnect. Our little blog has become a real family affair as many of our shared cousins follow this site.
And that’s wonderful about your youngest being a horse-lover. Mariel has been riding since she was a tiny tot – I used to take her to the stable to watch ME ride – how the tables turned so quickly!
As for fresh ginger – I always prefer the fresh root to the powder, so by all means sub it in. And I told your mom that she should plumb the depths of our website, as your great grandmother’s recipes are often featured (that would be Elizabeth Dean, my mom’s mother.) We also feature cousin Bob’s Chili (Uncle Len’s son) as well as Aunt Sheila’s Lemon Pudding (Uncle Len’s fave dessert!)
So happy to hear from you, and any questions – just fire away. And if you have any family favorites you’d like to share,we’d love to try them! Cheers! Mary Anne & Mariel