December 14, 2009

Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Veggies


I’d like to share with you a pork recipe that I tried yesterday. This was my first time ever cooking a pork tenderloin. For those who already know then please excuse my ignorance, but did you know pork tenderloin and pork loin are two different types of meats? Tenderloin is actually a smaller muscle than the loin and lies beneath the larger loin. The tenderloin is much tenderer than the loin, hence, tenderloin. So anyways, since it is autumn and all, I wanted to try an “autumny” recipe with pork and apples.
I found a really simple recipe on foodnetwork dot com. I pretty much followed the recipe exactly. The only addition was adding about ¼ cup of red wine to make the sauce in place of apple cider (since I didn’t have any). You could add about ¾ cup chicken broth also, but I didn’t and the sauce was still very tasty. I also didn’t have any celery and don’t care too much for celery so I didn’t add it in. I took out the meat at 150 degrees and let it sit. There was no blush in the middle but the meat was still very tender and moist. I think this would be a good recipe to make for a small dinner party. You definitely will need a good size pan that can also go in the oven.

Adapted from foodnetwork.com
Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Veggies
vegetable oil
olive oil
1 (2-pound) boneless center cut pork loin, trimmed and tied
1 medium onion, thickly sliced
3 carrots cut into about 2 inch chunks
3 cloves garlic, smashed
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 apples peeled, cored and cut into 8 slices
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
¼ red wine
2 tablespoons mustard
salt and pepper
Directions
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 olive oil, 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 onions, carrots, 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 place the pork loin in the middle of the skillet along with the juices. 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.
Transfer the pork to a cutting board and cover it loosely with foil.
To make the sauce:
Arrange the apples and vegetables on a platter. Discard the herb sprigs. Return the skillet to med-high heat and add the vinegar scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits at bottom of pan. Add the wine and let the alcohol cook off for a few minutes. Take 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. Drizzle the sauce over the meat.


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