Fried Pork Tenderloin and Sawmill Gravy

Crispy, golden fried pork tenderloin smothered in rich, peppery sawmill gravy is pure Southern comfort on a plate.

Course Main Course, Pork

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword fried-pork-and-gravy, fried-pork-tenderloin-sawmill-gravy, fried-pork-tenderloin-with-gravy

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 523kcal

Author Melissa Sperka

Pork Tenderloin: Use a sharp knife to trim any silver skin and slice the pork tenderloin into 3/4 inch thick pieces.
Seasoned Flour: In a shallow bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, seasoned salt and black pepper until blended. Reserve 1/4 cup for the gravy and set aside.
Use the remaining 1/2 cup to dust both sides of the sliced pork tenderloin.
Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil and 3 Tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Brown the tenderloin in batches cooking for around 3-4 minutes on each side. Adjust time depending on thickness. Remove to a platter and keep warm.
Sawmill Gravy: Reserve 2 Tbsp of pan drippings and add 3 Tbsp of butter.
Sprinkle the 1/4 cup reserved flour into the pan and stir to combine. Cook for about 1 minute scraping any brown bits from bottom of pan.
Gradually pour in the milk, tarragon and poultry seasoning, while whisking.
After all of the milk has been added, bring to a boil then immediately lower the heat to low whisking constantly. Let the gravy slowly bubble for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, over low heat. Taste and adjust salt and black pepper to your taste.
You can adjust the consistency adding more milk to thin, if desired. Serve immediately drizzled over pork tenderloin.

Chicken - You could make this recipe using boneless skinless chicken thighs, boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins. Adjust the cooking time as each one will cook slightly differently with the chicken tenderloins cooking the fastest.
Milk - You can use half and half in place of whole milk for an even creamier gravy.
Garnish - You can garnish the gravy with chopped chives or parsley.
Use Seasoned Salt for a Quick and Easy Seasoning - Seasoned salt typically includes salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne pepper. It's a terrific shortcut ingredient to season the pork tenderloin and gravy.