If you're looking for an easy, yet impressive main dish, this Italian pork scallopini is the answer! It's coated in a port red wine sauce and made in under 20 minutes.
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While going to culinary school in Italy I learned how to make this amazing red wine pork scallopini (scaloppine in Italian). With pork being common in Northern Italy, this dish has various iterations in many Northern regions.
What I love about the dish is that it's surprisingly easy, yet it looks super elegant and upscale. Nobody will even know it wasn't hard to make!
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What You'll Learn In This Recipe
- How to trim a pork tenderloin to achieve thin slices.
- Master a red wine sauce.
- Tips for perfectly cooking pork tenderloin.
Want more delicious Italian inspired recipes? Check out my free eBook with 10 recipes you'll love.
Ingredients You Need
- Pork tenderloin: Be sure to trim any visible fat and silverskin. Then, use a sharp chef's knife to slice thin pieces, about ½ inch (13 mm) thick.
- Kosher salt/black pepper: Don't skimp on the seasonings. It gives the pork the extra flavor it needs!
- All purpose flour: If needed, you can substitute with gluten free flour.
- Unsalted butter: If you use salted butter, taste the pork before adding additional flakey salt on top.
- Port red wine: Buy a bottle of wine that you would be willing to drink to ensure this dish has great flavor.
How To Make This Recipe
1. Evenly pound the pork tenderloin slices into ¼ inch (6 cm) thickness. This helps the pork cook evenly and quickly!
2. Generously season both sides with salt and pepper.
3. Next, coat each tenderloin in flour, and gently tap off any excess.
4. Melt 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of butter over medium high heat in a large skillet. Once melted, cook the pork tenderloin slices just until cooked on the outside, about 45 - 60 seconds per side.
5. Work in batches and set cooked tenderloin aside.
6. Add in port wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to incorporate any browned bits from the pork for extra flavor in the sauce.
7. Cook the wine until it has reduced by 75% and is thickened, about 4 - 5 minutes. Then, throw in butter and cook until melted.
8. Add the tenderloin slices back to the pan and continue to cook until it reaches medium rare with an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C).
Expert Tips
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. The wine on the pork turns a dark purple/grey color the longer the meat sits as leftovers. While it looks visually unappealing, it's still safe to eat.
- To avoid meat juices splattering on your counter, cover the pork with plastic wrap before pounding it into thinner pieces.
- Be sure to generously season the pork. It needs salt and pepper if you want great flavor!
Recipe FAQs
The red wine pork pairs well with many things! I love it with parmesan risotto or with aglio e olio pasta.
Yes, that will work! I generally prefer to use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour.
You want the sauce to be a thin, glaze-like consistency. It should be thick enough that it sticks to the meat.
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Italian Red Wine Pork Scallopini
Equipment
- meat tenderizer
- tongs
- large skillet
- meat thermometer
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds pork tenderloin visible fat and silverskin removed, sliced on the bias ½ inch (13 mm) thick
- Morton kosher salt to taste
- finely ground black pepper to taste
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 cup port red wine
- Maldon flaky sea salt for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Evenly pound tenderloin slices into ¼ inch (6 cm) thickness. Generously season both sides with salt and pepper. Coat each tenderloin slice in flour, then gently tap off any excess.
- Melt 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter over medium high heat in a large skillet. Once melted, cook tenderloin slices just until cooked on the outside, about 45 - 60 seconds per side. Work in batches and set cooked tenderloin slices aside.
- Add in port wine. Scrape the bottom of the pan to incorporate any browned bits for extra flavor. Cook until the mixture has reduced by 75% and thickened, about 4 - 5 minutes. Add in 1 tablespoon (14 grams) butter and cook until melted.
- Add the tenderloin slices back to the pan and continue to cook until it reaches medium rare with an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C).
- To serve, place on a plate. Top with additional red wine sauce. Taste and garnish with flaky sea salt, as needed.
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