Pork Pan Sauce: Easy Cider, Leek and Mustard Recipe
Last updated on October 13th, 2026
A good pork pan sauce is already sitting in the pan once your pork is cooked. The golden bits stuck to the base, the fond, are where the flavour is, and a little leek, dry cider, stock and a spoonful of wholegrain mustard turn them into a silky sauce in about 8 minutes. No cream, no wine, nothing to plan ahead.
This is one of three sauces in my pan sauce video, all built on the blueprint I was taught as a young trainee cook. The full method for any meat is in my ultimate pan sauce guide. This page is just the pork one. The other two are my steak pan sauce, made with mushrooms and no wine, and my chicken pan sauce, made with white wine and cold butter.
Why You’ll Love This Pork Pan Sauce
It is quick, with 3 minutes of prep and 5 of cooking, and it uses a handful of everyday ingredients. The mustard does the thickening, so there is no flour to go lumpy and no cream to add. It is also made in the same pan as the pork, so there is very little to wash up.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The amounts are in the recipe card below, for 2 portions. A few notes on what goes in:
- Leek: a small section of the white part. Remove the first few outer layers and dice it as fine as you can, because the smaller it is, the quicker the sauce comes together.
- Dry cider: 150 ml, dry rather than sweet.
- Chicken stock: 300 ml. A shop-bought cube or powder is fine. Pork stock works if you happen to have some, but it is not easy to find.
- Mustard: a heaped teaspoon of wholegrain. Dijon also works well.
Got half a leek left over? My mum’s leek gratin is a make-ahead side that uses it.
How to Make Pork Chop Pan Sauce
Cook your pork first and rest it on a plate. In the video I use pork medallions, cooked for around 5 minutes until golden on both sides. The sauce is then made in the same pan, in five steps.
- Drain the fat. Pour the excess into a dish so the base of the pan has a thin, even coating and nothing pooling. Put the pan back on a medium to low heat.
- Soften the leek. Fry it gently for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring now and then. Even this gentle frying starts to lift the fond.
- Add the cider. Turn the heat to high, bring it to the boil and scrape the fond from the base of the pan as it bubbles. It halves in volume surprisingly quickly.
- Add the stock and reduce. Bring it back to the boil and reduce for 1 to 2 minutes, until you have roughly a third of the original volume.
- Whisk in the mustard. Turn the heat down to a simmer and whisk it in. The sauce thickens almost instantly. Add any resting juices from the pork now.
Tips for the Best Pork Pan Sauce
- Check the thickness with a spoon. This is the most important step for me. Drag the spoon through the sauce, and if it leaves a trail behind it, you are good to go.
- Go slightly thinner than you want. It will look too thin in the pan, but it sets a little more on the plate and coats the meat.
- Season last. Turn the heat off, taste, and add salt only if it needs it.
- Prep the leek while the pork cooks. Then the sauce can go straight into the pan as soon as the meat comes out.
If you want the thinking behind the structure, my simple guide to making any pan sauce walks through it step by step.
Pork Pan Sauce: Easy Cider, Leek and Mustard Recipe
Equipment
- Heatproof container / Dish
- Chef’s knife
- Chopping board
- Measuring jug
- Measuring spoons
- Frying pan
- Plate / Tray
- Spoon (table, dessert, tea)
- Whisk
- Wooden / Stirring spoon
Ingredients
- Small section of leek finely diced
- 150 ml dry cider
- 300 ml chicken stock
- A heaped teaspoon of wholegrain mustard
Instructions
- Drain the excess fat from the pan, and place the pan onto a medium to low heat.
- Add your finely diced leek, and gently saute for 2 to 3 minutes until softened.
- Add the cider, turn the heat up to high and stir to combine.
- Once the cider has halved in volume add the stock and bring to a boil.
- Reduce for 1 to 2 minutes until you have roughly a third of the original volume.
- Turn the heat to low and whisk in the mustard to thicken.
- Simmer for another 10 to 30 seconds if needed to get the thickness how you want it.
Video
Nutrition
[bg-nutrition-label id=”8797″]
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good pan sauce for pork chops?
A cider, leek and mustard pan sauce is a good match. It takes about 8 minutes, uses the fond left in the pan after cooking the pork, and is thickened with wholegrain mustard rather than cream. The cider and chicken stock reduce to roughly a third of their volume, which concentrates the flavour.
What is an easy sauce to make for pork?
This one: 3 minutes of prep and 5 of cooking, in the same pan as the pork, with just leek, dry cider, chicken stock and a heaped teaspoon of wholegrain mustard. Dice the leek finely while the pork cooks and the sauce is ready within minutes of the meat coming out.
Can you make pork pan sauce without wine?
Yes. This one uses 150 ml of dry cider instead of wine. In my pan sauce method, a sauce with no alcohol at all needs something acidic, such as a dash of vinegar, to lift the other flavours.
