The pork tenderloin with apples is a simple and tasty recipe, perfect for a special occasion like Christmas lunch or dinner. It is impossible not to fall in love with the pork tenderloin with apples (whole cooked on the stove, as if it was roasted), thanks to the softness of its meat and the unusual but pleasant taste of its sauce: apples, raisins, bacon and mustard, mixed together with aromatic herbs as rosemary and sage create a creamy cooking base. A tasty and slightly sour sauce that goes perfectly with the taste of pork.
With the same recipe of the pork tenderloin with apples you can also cook another cut of pork meat, the pork loin for example, increasing the cooking time (it takes about half hour for pound of meat).
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Ingredients for the pork tenderloin with apples
If you are gluten intolerant make sure that the following ingredients have the word “gluten free” on the label: bacon and Dijon mustard.
Tools
How to cook the pork tenderloin with apples on the stove
Qui puoi leggere la ricetta in italiano!
For preparing the pork tenderloin with apples, start by sprinkling the tenderloin with a lot of fine salt and pepper, massaging well so that they can penetrate in the meat.
Heat oil and butter in a large thick bottomed pan. Then, when the butter has melted, brown the tenderloin for a couple of minutes on all sides.
As soon as the meat is well sealed, add the peeled whole garlic and the diced bacon on the base of the pan.
Once the bacon is browned, raise the heat and reduce with wine – remember that it must always be added at room temperature, not cold from the fridge – and let it evaporate for about a minute, stirring well the gravy.
Then add half a glass of warm water, sage, rosemary and cover the pot with its lid. Let the pork tenderloin cook for 10 minutes over low heat, turning it once and soaking it with the gravy.
Meanwhile put the raisins to soak in warm water; peel the apple and cut it into pieces. After 10 minutes add the apple pieces, raisins and the nutmeg to the meat.
Season with salt, stir it well, cover again with a lid and let it cook again over low heat for about 10 minutes.
If the gravy becomes too thick, you can add a little bit of water. When the apples starts melting, add the mustard, mixing it well to the gravy.
Keep cooking the pork tenderloin with apples for another 10 minutes; if the gravy is still very watery remove the lid, otherwise continue cooking with the covered pot.
At the end of cooking, the apples must be almost completely melted, giving us a thick and creamy gravy. Find the garlic and remove it from the pot, then turn off the heat.
Cut the pork tenderloin with apples into slices and serve it warm, sprinkled with the gravy. And what about the side dish? Some delicious classic mashed potatoes, or sweet and sour bell peppers are a perfect match for the pork tenderloin with apples.
Cooking time of the pork tenderloin with apples
Cooking time vary based on the weight of the piece of meat, taking 1 hour each 2 pounds. In my case I had 1 pound of pork tenderloin and I have cooked it for 30 minutes: the same goes if you have two pork tenderloin of 1 pounds each. If you cook the pork loin, which is usually much larger, you have to increase the cooking time in proportion to the weight itself.
Tips and variations
Depending on your tastes, you can deglaze the meat with something more aromatic than the white wine, for example a shot of brandy.
If you want a lighter dish, you can remove/omit the unsalted butter and bacon. Even mustard is not essential, but it gives that acidic and slightly spicy touch to the dish, which is also useful for dampening the sweetness of the apples.
Translation by Giacomo Meucci
Varied doses for servings