Pork Tenderloin in Orange and Saffron Sauce

An almost-classic that is easy to prepare: Pork tenderloin in a flavorful orange sauce with a bit of saffron added. The sauce gets its flavor from orange peel and orange juice. The pork fillet slices and the sauce go best with pasta, but you can also serve them with rice.

Ingredients

• 1 pork tenderloin
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ small onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 orange
• ½ cup / 120 ml dry white wine
• ½ cup / 120 ml sour cream
• ¼ tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1 tbsp triple sec (optional)
• ⅛ tsp saffron
• salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Trim pork tenderloin. Fold over thin end so that the meat is of equal thickness along its length. Secure with twine or skewers. Season the meat with black pepper.
2. Set a heavy pan over medium to high heat. Add olive oil. Cook tenderloin on all sides until well browned. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Reduce heat. Add chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent.
4. Meanwhile, use a vegetable peeler to cut off very thin slices of orange peel (only the thin orange-colored layer, avoid the white pith).
5. Add orange peel and garlic to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes without browning the garlic.
6. Add white wine and salt. Return tenderloin to the pan and cover partially.
7. Cook meat over medium heat until it has almost reached the desired degree of doneness (about 10-20 minutes). I cook the meat so that it is still very slightly pink in the center.
8. Remove from pan, wrap in aluminum foil and keep warm (e.g. wrap in a blanket) while preparing the sauce.
9. Remove orange peel slices from pan and cut into fine strips to use as garnish. Squeeze the orange and add the juice. Add the triple sec and saffron.
10. Reduce until only a small amount of liquid is left. Reduce heat and stir in sour cream. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
11. Unwrap meat, remove skewers or twine and add the liquid that has collected in the aluminum wrap to the sauce. Slice the meat, serve with the sauce, garnish with the orange peel strips.

Yields about 4 servings

Preparation time about 45 minutes.

My recipe is based on my Mom's recipe for pork fillets in orange sauce, with the orange peel and the saffron added for flavor.