Pork Loin with Roasted Apples
Cooking with fresh products truly makes any dish tastier. I am always trying to find new ways to incorporate local products in my meals, whether that is adding a local vegetable for a side, preparing meat that comes from a area farmer, using eggs from Martha down the road or even indulging in locally made spirits – there is always room on the plate for local food.
With fall arriving that leads many consumers back to the stores for all their ingredients, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Just because the summer harvest is complete, doesn’t mean that local produce and other items are tucked away until spring. There’s a wealth of new fall harvest items just waiting to be discovered. Winter squashes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, broccoli, lettuce and apples are just a few.
Don’t be afraid in trying a new vegetable, you never know what new taste you will find.
Here is a recipe that I stumbled onto a couple weeks ago, while trying to figure out what to do with my surplus of apples. (I somehow always purchase WAY too many when I stop in at farms.)
My husband and I decided we wanted to try a new pork loin recipe and upon searching for roasted pork loin and apples I found a number of choices, but decided that the following recipe seemed simple enough, but tasty. And, I was correct. The sauce that the juices and reduced apple cider create is amazing. I used 4 apples instead of the 2 that the recipe calls for.
Even our toddler gobbled up this dinner. I hope your family it enjoys this meal as much as mine did…it’s a keeper.
Roast Pork Loin with Apples
from Food Network
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (2-pound) boneless center cut pork loin, trimmed and tied
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, thickly sliced
2 carrots, thickly sliced
2 stalks celery, thickly, sliced
3 cloves garlic, smashed
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
2 apples, such as Cortland or Rome peeled, cored and cut into 8 slices
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large ovenproof skillet heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Season the pork loin all over generously with salt and pepper. Sear the meat until golden brown on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the meat to a plate and set it aside.
Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, herb sprigs, and 2 tablespoons of the butter to the skillet. Stir until the vegetables are browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in the sliced apples, then push the mixture to the sides and set the pork loin in the middle of the skillet along with any collected juices on the plate. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the loin until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 140 to 150 degrees F, about 30 to 35 minutes. (See Cook’s Note.)
Transfer the pork a cutting board and cover it loosely with foil while you make the sauce. Arrange the apples and vegetables on a serving platter and set aside. Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Return the skillet to a high heat and add the vinegar scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen up any browned bits. Reduce by half then add the cider and reduce by about half again. Pull the skillet from the heat and whisk in the mustard, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of cold butter. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.
Remove the strings from the roast and slice into 1/2-inch thick pieces and arrange over the apple mixture. Drizzle some sauce over meat and serve the rest on the side.
