The Best Pork Tenderloin Recipe with Apples and Cider for Dinner
Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Cider is a dish that deliciously combines the flavor of pork, liquor and apples to provide an explosion of flavor to the palate. This is ideal for elegant festive dinners where you want to surprise your guests.
It is prepared by dressing the pork very well, so that the meat acquires the flavor of these ingredients, to finally bake it with cider and apples. The end result will be juicy, smooth meat with a flavor that spills over into your mouth.
Below we will explain the preparation of this recipe in a simple way, as well as some recommendations for a perfect dish.
Pork loin ingredients with apples and cider
To season the pork tenderloin
Salt to taste.
A tablespoon of dried thyme.
One tablespoon of oil.
A tablespoon of mustard.
A tablespoon of pepper or cayenne powder.
Half a tablespoon of onion powder.
A tablespoon and a half of ground sweet paprika.
For the pork tenderloin
4 tablespoons of butter.
5 pounds of pork tenderloin.
Any vegetable of your choice like potatoes or carrots.
15 cloves of garlic
6 apples cut into halves.
3 cups of apple cider with alcohol and semisweet.
2 onions cut into quarters.
For the apple cider sauce
2 of the baked apple halves peeled, but you must remove the seeds (this is optional).
Two cups of juice or sauce for roasting.
A tablespoon of cornstarch.
Half a cup of heavy cream.
Two tablespoons of calvados (Another option is to use brandy or cognac).
Two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.
Steps for making pork loin with apples and cider
Note: Due to the length of this recipe, we will divide the process into several phases.
Dressing the pork tenderloin
Gather all the ingredients to have them on hand.
Preheat the oven to 200º C.
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients on the list to dress the pork tenderloin.
With the help of an awl or fork, make incisions in the pork and with your fingers push the whole garlic cloves into each of the incisions.
Use twine to tie the pork tenderloin, in case you haven't tied it yet.
With the seasonings that you had mixed in the bowl, rub the tenderloin, but save some to integrate it with the vegetables later. Reserve the rest.
Baking the roast tenderloin
In a tray that is large and wide enough, place the pork tenderloin.
Around the tenderloin on the tray, place the apples, onion and other vegetables you want.
Pour the apple cider little by little over the pork tenderloin, being careful not to spill it, until the tray is half full.
Place the tray with the loin in the oven and let it bake for 30 minutes at 200ºC.
Lower the oven temperature to 175º C and take out the tray for a moment to spray the pork loin with the juices from the tray. If you notice that the cider has evaporated, add a little more.
Put the tray back in the oven and let the tenderloin bake for 1 hour. However, every 20 minutes you must remove and drizzle with the juices.
After this time, remove the tray again and cover with aluminum foil.
Take the tray back, now covered in aluminum foil, and bake for 20 more minutes.
In the last 10 minutes, add butter, cut into pieces, to the tenderloin so that it melts in the oven. But, be careful that the oven temperature is minus 62º C so that it melts properly.
Remove the tenderloin from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving it and dishes.
Making the apple cider sauce
The sauce that remains on the tray after baking, strain and retain only the juices to take them to a small saucepan where we will cook the juice over high heat until the liquid evaporates and is half way. This can be for about 15 minutes.
Pour in the cream and lower the heat to medium low so the sauce cooks and thickens.
Add the balsamic vinegar and whatever liqueurs you have to add, be it cognac, brandy, or calvados. In case you want the sauce to be thicker, add the cornstarch in this step and stir to thicken it.
Blend a couple of apple pieces and add this purée to the saucepan with the sauce.
Cut the pork tenderloin into slices and serve them on plates, pouring the cider sauce on top.
Recommendations and tips for a perfect recipe
It is best to use a sparkling apple cider so that the sauce thickens better. However, if you can't get one of these, you can either use apple cider without bubbles or Asturian.
If you want the cider to have an authentic traditional flavor, it is best to add some chopped celery sticks.
For the garnish around the tenderloin, you can use vegetables such as aubergine or zucchini, as these complement very well with the flavor of apples.
Keep the heat low during cooking so the sauce thickens and until done.
If you want the sauce to thicken better, add the cornstarch to a little cold water to add with the liquor to the sauce.
Recipe conclusions
The pork tenderloin with apples and cider is a delicious and ideal dish for a different dinner in which you want to enjoy with your family or friends. It is perfect for Christmas dinner, New Year's Eve or Thanksgiving. Therefore, we recommend you try it at home and surprise everyone.