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Macedonian Psaronefri me Moustarda kai Krasi (Ψαρονέφρι με μουστάρδα και κρασί)
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Macedonian psaronefri is pork tenderloin treated plainly: a hard sear, a short roast, and a mustard-wine pan sauce sharp enough to wake the lean meat.
Main Dishes
Greek
Weeknight
Dinner Party
Quick Meal
20 min
Active Time
25 min cook•45 min total
Yield4 servings
Macedonian psaronefri me moustarda kai krasi is pork tenderloin in a mustard and white-wine sauce, the kind of northern Greek plate that moves easily from a Tuesday table to a dinner with guests. The region is the dish's surname here: Macedonia has always cooked pork confidently, and this version keeps the meat lean, the sauce bright, and the method quick.
The whole dish turns on timing. Sear the tenderloin hard, roast it only to medium, and rest it before slicing. Psaronefri has almost no fat inside it, so the difference between tender and dry is not philosophy, it's minutes. Pull it while the center is still faintly pink and let the heat finish its work quietly.
The sauce is the useful one: pan juices, white wine, mustard, a little stock, lemon at the end. Nothing sweet, nothing heavy. I write it down this way because a cook should be able to make the same good plate again next Thursday, not just hope the pan remembers.
Psaronefri is the Greek butcher's name for pork tenderloin, a cut that became more visible in urban home cooking and tavernas as meat buying shifted from whole joints to named cuts in the twentieth century. Mustard-wine pan sauces are especially common in northern Greek pork cookery, where Macedonia's winter pig traditions met the quicker cooking habits of city kitchens. This is not an old village stew; it is a real modern Greek regional table dish, recorded as it is cooked.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
pork tenderloins (psaronefri)
Quantity
2, about 800g total
silver skin removed
fine sea salt
Quantity
8g
freshly ground black pepper
Quantity
1 teaspoon
extra virgin Koroneiki olive oil
Quantity
2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
Quantity
25g
garlic cloves
Quantity
2
lightly crushed
dry white wine
Quantity
120ml
chicken stock
Quantity
180ml
warm
Greek mustard (moustarda)
Quantity
2 tablespoons
smooth
lemon juice
Quantity
1 tablespoon
dried Greek oregano
Quantity
1 teaspoon
fresh thyme leaves
Quantity
1 teaspoon
flat-leaf parsley
Quantity
1 tablespoon
chopped
lemon wedges (optional)
Quantity
as needed
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| pork tenderloins (psaronefri)silver skin removed | 2, about 800g total |
| fine sea salt | 8g |
| freshly ground black pepper | 1 teaspoon |
| extra virgin Koroneiki olive oil | 2 tablespoons |
| unsalted butter | 25g |
| garlic cloveslightly crushed | 2 |
| dry white wine | 120ml |
| chicken stockwarm | 180ml |
| Greek mustard (moustarda)smooth | 2 tablespoons |
| lemon juice | 1 tablespoon |
| dried Greek oregano | 1 teaspoon |
| fresh thyme leaves | 1 teaspoon |
| flat-leaf parsleychopped | 1 tablespoon |
| lemon wedges (optional) | as needed |
Equipment Needed
- •heavy oven-safe skillet, 28cm
- •instant-read thermometer
- •small whisk
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the pork
Trim away the silver skin from the psaronefri, then pat the meat very dry. Season it all over with the salt and pepper and let it stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Dry meat browns. Wet meat steams first, and this lean cut doesn't have enough fat to forgive that delay.
- 2
Sear all sides
Heat the olive oil in a heavy oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Add the tenderloins and sear them for 6 to 7 minutes total, turning every minute or so, until the surface is browned in patches. Add the butter and crushed garlic for the last minute, spooning the fragrant fat over the pork.
- 3
Roast to medium
Transfer the pan to a 190C oven and roast for 8 to 12 minutes, depending on thickness, until the center reaches 62C. Pull it then. Psaronefri is the leanest meat on the pig, and if you chase it past medium it turns dry before you can argue with it.
If you don't have a thermometer, press the thickest part: it should feel springy, not firm. A thermometer is simpler and kinder. - 4
Rest the meat
Move the pork to a warm plate and rest it for 8 minutes. Leave the pan juices behind. The rest is not decoration here, it lets the meat settle so the slices stay juicy instead of spilling their moisture onto the board.
- 5
Make the sauce
Set the pan back over medium heat and pour in the wine, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Let it bubble for 2 minutes, then whisk in the warm stock and mustard. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, until glossy and lightly thickened. Stir in the lemon juice, oregano, and thyme off the heat.
- 6
Slice and serve
Slice the rested pork on a slight angle, about 1cm thick. Spoon the mustard-wine sauce over the slices and scatter with parsley. Serve at once, with roasted potatoes, rice pilaf, or good bread for the sauce.
Chef Tips
- •Buy proper psaronefri, not pork loin. Tenderloin is narrow, soft, and usually sold in two slim pieces; pork loin is wider and needs different cooking. Λίγα και καλά: one good cut, not a tray of anonymous meat.
- •Greek mustard is usually smooth and moderately sharp. If yours is very mild, add a little extra lemon at the end. If it's very hot, use less mustard and let the wine carry the sauce.
- •This doesn't hold well once sliced. If you're serving guests, roast and rest the pork, finish the sauce, then slice only when the plates are ready.
Advance Preparation
- •Trim the silver skin up to 1 day ahead, cover the pork, and refrigerate it.
- •Season the pork up to 2 hours ahead and keep it chilled; bring it out 25 minutes before cooking.
- •The sauce is best made in the pan after searing, not separately ahead, because the browned bits are half its flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 225g)
Calories
350 calories
Total Fat
16 g
Saturated Fat
5 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
10 g
Cholesterol
155 mg
Sodium
1050 mg
Total Carbohydrates
3 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
45 g
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