Why This Recipe Works

This one-pan dinner builds flavor on top of flavor one step at a time. We coated pork tenderloins in spicy ground ginger and earthy fresh thyme, bringing sweet and savory to the next level. We cooked each component separately, which allowed us to control the cooking times before we layered all the ingredients together for roasting. First we seared the pork before caramelizing the pear wedges in melted butter. Next we cooked sweet red onions in a mixture of brown sugar and balsamic vinegar before nestling the pears and pork on top of the mixture and slipping it all into the oven. As the pork cooked, the onion-balsamic mixture slowly reduced, becoming sweet and jammy. After the dish came out of the oven, we let the pork rest and stirred cold butter into the onion-balsamic mixture to create a luxurious pan sauce.

Before You Begin

Be sure to avoid overly ripe pears here, as they will become mushy during cooking.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine 1¾ teaspoons salt, thyme, ground ginger, granulated garlic, and pepper in small bowl. Pat pork dry with paper towels and sprinkle all over with salt mixture.

Heat oil in 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place pork in skillet and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer pork to plate; set aside. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels.

Sprinkle cut sides of pears evenly with ¼ teaspoon salt. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Arrange pears cut side down in single layer in skillet and cook, turning as needed, until well browned on cut sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer pears to plate with pork.

Add onions and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt to now-empty skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until softened and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes.

Off heat, stir in vinegar and sugar, scraping up any browned bits. Arrange pork and pears in even layer over onion mixture in skillet. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until pork registers 135 to 140 degrees, 10 to 12 minutes.

Transfer pork to carving board and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice pork crosswise ½ inch thick. Arrange pork and pears on serving platter.

Stir any accumulated pork juices from carving board into onions and heat over medium-low heat until just simmering (skillet handle will be hot). Off heat, whisk remaining 2 tablespoons butter into onion mixture until melted and sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon onions and sauce over pork and pears and sprinkle with parsley. Serve.