Look at these succulent pork fillets braised in a strong whisky sauce with garlic… You will love this dish! It also goes by the name of solomillo al whisky… This is a savory pork tenderloin recipe straight from Spain!
Nope, this is not a recipe for whisky sauce for bread pudding…
Although I will make that one next weekend now that I have a bottle of whisky in my kitchen cupboard.
Look at this Spanish beauty right here!
A lovely pork in whisky sauce!
Have you ever heard of this one before?
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If you have ever been to Sevilla (Spain) or in that region before, then you definitely must have run into it because you will see this dish on every restaurant’s lunch menu around there.
Pork in whisky sauce is a popular recipe over there.
The Spanish people call this one ’solomillo de cerdo al whisky’, or pork tenderloin in whisky sauce.
Cute, isn’t it?!
Easy Braised Pork in Whisky Sauce Recipe
Do you often cook with whisky at home?
You don’t see this ingredient that regularly in cooking, true. If you haven’t got any whisky around, then you can also use bourbon or brandy instead.
I have come across a few Spanish recipes that use a mix of white wine and whisky for this whisky sauce as well.
You can serve this pork solomillo al whisky sauce with boiled potatoes, thick steakhouse fries or papas fritas.
Solomillo de Cerdo
And how about a lukewarm potato salad with olive oil, vinegar, fresh parsley and raw onion (also known as papas aliñás in Spain).
Like I said before.
You want to prepare this dish with whisky sauce pork tenderloin that you simply cut into nice slices. But any other similar pork cut or fillet will do. And it goes without saying that this whisky sauce is also a great match for chicken or beef of course!
No Cream Sauce
One remark about the whisky sauce.
Do not expect it to be a glossy thick cream sauce.
No?
Well that is because cream or flour isn’t added to it. It is more like a thin but highly flavorful sauce to drizzle on top of the pork that contains olive oil, the whisky and the pork juices.
Why?
Because that is just the way this dish is cooked really. And that is also the reason why I love it. You just don’t need any heavy sauces for lunch in that tropical Spanish heat.
A light and flavorful sauce will do!
Cooking with Whisky
Next on my list to make with that bottle of whisky is whisky sauce bread pudding and whisky sauce steak!
Do you love cooking with whisky?
Then you should also take a look at my white beans and quail in salted butter and whisky!
Succulent pork fillets braised in a strong whisky sauce with garlic…
You will love this dish!
Enjoy!
Easy Recipe for Whisky Sauce Braised Pork
- 7 oz pork fillets (200 g)
- 6 medium garlic cloves unpeeled
- ⅓ cup whisky or brandy (80 ml)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- pepper
- salt
1) Pour the olive oil in a large non-stick pan and add the unpeeled garlic cloves.
2) Put the pan over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Stir the garlic regularly until soft. The pork fillets should be ¼-inch max in thickness. You can make them thinner by wrapping them in cling film and flattening them using a meat mallet. Season on both sides with a little pinch of pepper and salt. Turn the heat under the pan with garlic cloves higher. Add the pork to the hot oil.
3) Quickly sear the pork on both sides for a minute.
4) Then add the whisky.
5) Put a lid on the pan and turn the heat low. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the pork is cooked all the way through. Check if the seasoning of the whisky sauce is good and add extra pepper or salt to taste if necessary. Put the cooked pork fillets onto warm plates and drizzle with the sauce. Top with the garlic cloves. Add a last sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.
Solomillo de Cerdo
Let’s talk about that cut of pork!
For my pork in whisky sauce you can use simple pork fillets. However it I have to cook dishes like this Spanish cerdo al whisky, I prefer to use a pork tenderloin instead of fillets.
Do you know your cuts?
You might have seen tenderloin before in your supermarket or at your local butcher around the corner. It is a long strip of meat. You can find it in the lower back of a pig. And its name says it all: tenderloin. Because the meat is very tender.
And therefore it also doesn’t need to cook that long.
Pork Tenderloin
There are in fact 2 ways to use a tenderloin for this recipe.
You can either slice the pork tenderloin into fillets, or slices. And cook them quickly in a frying pan just like I do. However there is another way in which I like to prepare this dish.
Quickly pan sear the entire pork tenderloin in a hot frying pan on all sides.
Then just put it in a preheated oven for about 12 minutes to cook on in the inside. Don’t wipe that frying pan clean. Once the pork is cooked, let it rest at room temperature for a couple of minutes so that the juices can spread and the pork muscle can relax.
Resting Time
And while the pork roast rests, you can prep your whisky sauce with the cooking juices from the frying pan.
Then just slice the roast pork tenderloin up, plate it up nicely and finish with a generous drizzle of that delicious Spanish whisky sauce.
It is a simple method, if you have a good oven that you can rely on.
Try it!
Next on my list: a recipe for whisky sauce for bread pudding… A whisky caramel sauce sounds good to me!
Soon on my website here!
I was born in Spain and visit the family when I can. This is one of my favorite Tapas that I get every time i’m there. I’ve made it here and it doesn’t turn out quite the same. Excited to try your recipe tonight. I’ll update on how it turns out.