Seared Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Shallot-Mushroom Pan Gravy.

This is another recipe from Cooking Light: 5 Ingredient 15 Minute Recipes. This one is 5 points, yields 4 servings, and each serving size is about 3 oz of meat and 3/4 cup of gravy. I love how it says 4 minutes for prep time. That's BS. That's 4 minutes if you don't care about slicing your fingers off in your rush to cut up the pork.

Ingredients

• 1 (1-lb) pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 garlic gloves, minced -OR- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• cooking spray
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 (8-oz) package sliced baby portobello mushrooms
• 1/3 cup chopped shallots
• 2 teaspoons corn starch
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry

If you want more gravy, just double the amount of corn starch, beef stock, and dry sherry. I did that last time, and you can drizzle the extra gravy over some mashed potatoes.

Let's talk pork really quick. If you buy it pre-packaged, like I do, make sure it's not packaged with marinade or seasoning; that will add calories and what have, not to mention mess with the end-result flavor. Try to get it as plain as possible. Also, with pre-packaged, you're gonna have some fat to trim off. This can be tricky business. If you're not comfortable doing it yourself, go to the meat counter and have the butcher package a trimmed one for you. Better to spend the extra buck or so than to wind up in the emergency room with a missing finger and a major hospital bill, amirite? Of course I'm right.

Directions

Cut pork diagonally into thin slices. I used my 8" Chef's Knife.

I LOVE THIS KNIFE. It cuts through meat like butter. It comes with a honing case. The case reshapes your blade to maintain the sharpness. This is different from sharpening; sharpening strips away metal to create a new edge.

Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper; rub with garlic. I did no rubbing, I just sprinkled garlic powder.

That right there is one of my Flexible Cutting Mats.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray; add oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add pork; cook 1 to 2 minutes on each side.

DO NOT OVERCOOK. They will be going back into the pan when the gravy is made, and no one likes overdone meat.

Transfer pork and pan juices to a platter; keep warm. Here are my mushrooms and shallots prior to being tossed into the pan:

We have here my Cutting Board, my Quikut Paring Knife (used to slice my mushrooms), and my Food Chopper (used to quickly and efficiently chop my shallot). Here is what I used to scrape off into the pan the bits of shallot that inevitably got stuck to my cutting board:

My Handy Scraper!

Re-coat skillet with cooking spray. Add mushrooms and shallots; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. While mushroom mixture cooks, place cornstarch in a small bowl. I used my 2-Cup Prep Bowl.

Gradually add stock and sherry, stirring with a whisk until smooth. I used my Mini-Whipper.

Stir stock mixture into mushroom mixture, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly with a whisk. I used my Bamboo Spatula.

 Return pork and pan juices to pan; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Buen provecho!