Why This Recipe Works

Seared pork medallions napped in a silky and bright lemon-parsley pan sauce make an easy yet elegant meal. For evenly sized medallions, we cut pork tenderloins into thick pieces and browned them only on one side before setting them aside. In the fond-coated skillet, we sautéed garlic and red pepper flakes and added chicken broth, lemon juice, and flour to form a savory, lightly thickened sauce. We then finished the pork (seared side up to prevent the flavorful crust from washing away) in the simmering sauce until it was light rosy pink at the center. Whisking parsley, lemon zest, and extra-virgin olive oil in at the end gave the dish a fresh, aromatic finish.

Before You Begin

You will need a 12-inch skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe.

Instructions

Whisk ¾ cup chicken broth, ¼ cup lemon juice, and 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour together in liquid measuring cup; set aside. Cut 2 trimmed pork tenderloins crosswise into 2-inch pieces and sprinkle all over with 1 teaspoon table salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Arrange pork medallions in skillet cut side down and cook without moving until first side is well browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer pork to plate, browned side up.

Off heat, stir 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes into fat remaining in skillet and cook in residual heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir broth mixture to recombine, then add to skillet, scraping up any browned bits.

Return pork to skillet browned side up, along with any accumulated juices. Bring broth mixture to simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover skillet and simmer gently until pork registers 135 to 140 degrees, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer pork medallions to serving platter browned side up as they finish cooking, leaving sauce in skillet.

Increase heat to medium-high and simmer until sauce is thickened and bubbling throughout, 2 to 4 minutes. Off heat, whisk in 3 tablespoons minced parsley, 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over pork. Serve.