Baked Pork Loin With Apple
This baked pork loin with a luscious apple sauce will shine as the centerpiece on your Christmas dinner table. Seared pork loin is baked with apple juice, sliced apples, onion, garlic, and herbs. The sweet and savory sauce is incredibly delicious and complements the delicate juicy pork loin fillets.
Juicy slices of baked pork loin pair perfectly with the sweetness of apples to make a memorable meal for your loved ones as they gear up for an evening of gaiety and cheer. Pork and apple are such a classic combination. Balancing the sauce so it’s not too sweet or one-dimensional is the trick. Onion, garlic, and Dijon mustard bring the savory element making the sauce stand out. This is one of those recipes which makes for an elegant dinner with minimal effort.
Pork loin, chops, or tenderloin are lean meat and are notorious for getting dry if not cooked carefully. The only way to avoid the disaster of overcooked pork loin is to use a meat thermometer. It’s worth an investment folks, especially if you bake pork/lamb frequently.
‘Tis the season to be jolly…..
Indeed! The most festive time of the year is here ! My Christmas tree is lit up and twinkling, holly and mistletoe are ready to be hung up and the crazy last-minute gift shopping is underway! I love this time of the year when the whole world seems to be pulsing with festive energy and cheer. And as Christmas day draws near, I have started planning the ultimate meal that draws all my family and loved ones together.
Last year I made the Boneless Lamb Shoulder, the star of our table. This year I am planning to make this Baked Pork Loin, a welcome break from the usual lamb and turkey. I chose pork loin because it is a tender cut and its mild flavor adapts to any sauce accompanying it. Pork and apple is one of our favorite cozy dinners once the temperature drops outside. The flavors are also just perfect for any special occasion.
Sweet and tart apples, onions, and garlic get slowly stewed in apple juice with slight caramelized edges. The end result is a luscious apple pan sauce, with mild spice from the Dijon mustard and warmth from rosemary and thyme. The sauce was thick enough to coat the slices of pork loin and the overall effect was subtle yet flavorsome, with no overpowering notes.
Ingredients
- Pork Loin – A lean and tender cut, that comes from the back of a pig, it is mild in flavor and visually appealing when roasted.
- Apples – The main ingredient of the sauce, I chose ones that are on the sweeter side and very mildly tangy.
- Apple juice – Any bottled plain apple juice should work. Just ensure that it has no added sugars or artificial flavoring. You can also substitute with apple cider.
- Onion and Garlic- I have used white onion for its mildly pungent taste and crispy texture. Onion and garlic together work as aromatics and lend fragrance and flavor to the sauce.
- Dijon mustard – To balance the other sweet flavors.
- Rosemary and Thyme – These herbs add an earthy and savory complexity to the dish. They also balance the sweetness of the apples. I also use sage sometimes.
Pork Loin and Pork Tenderloin are not the same
One might get confused between the names but both are cuts from different parts of the animal and need different cooking time. Pork loin or roast are thick and short cuts while tenderloins are thin long cuts. Tenderloins are leaner than pork loin/roast and cook quickly. This recipe specifically calls for pork loin/roast and you can not substitute it with tenderloin.
Steps for Baked Pork Loin With Apple
Most pork loin roasts will come with a “fat-cap” still on the top side. Don’t trim it completely, as the layer of fat keeps the meat moist and adds load of flavor to the pan juice once baked. Make sure you trim the thin silver membrane completely.
Trussing the Pork Loin
Trussing is a technique where you tie up the meat with kitchen twine. In this recipe, I have trussed up the meat to ensure that it retains its shape and cooks evenly in the oven. Trussing also helps to retain the juices within, so that the meat remains moist and tender.
Though the process is fairly simple, it might seem a bit daunting for beginners. Please take a look at the recipe video where I have demonstrated how to truss the pork loin.
Searing the meat
After trussing the meat, season it well with salt and pepper. Then sear the meat on all four sides till it develops a golden-brown crust. This gives the meat an appealing appearance and the crust keeps all the juices inside.
Once done, take the meat off the heat and keep it aside. Quickly toss the aromatics in the same pan with the herbs until slightly caramelized. Then add apple wedges, apple juice, dijon mustard and brown sugar. Deglaze the pan.
Prepare for baking
Once the sauce is ready, make a little bed in the center for the pork loin to sit in. Bake it in the oven with a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part until done.
Can you imagine the delight on the faces around the dinner table as you carve into this beautiful piece of meat? It is sure to win over everyone’s hearts and set the stage for more smiles as the little ones rush to open their gifts.
If you do make this recipe for your Christmas dinner, please do share the joy by posting a picture and tagging my Instagram handle The Flavours Of Kitchen.
How long to cook Pork loin in the oven?
Pork loin is lean meat and very easy to overcook. After several trials and errors, one thing I don’t miss is to use a meat thermometer. Every cut of loin varies in thickness, so I find it difficult to assign a number to the baking time. The lowest safe temperature for cooked pork is at least 145F. To get the internal temperature of 145F, I always take out the roast when the internal temperature registers at 130F. Then cover the roast with foil and let it rest for at least 15-20 minutes. At the end of the resting period, the internal temperature would just be just right. Here is the breakdown ( I have used a 2lb loin in this recipe)
- Sear the loin on medium-high heat 2-3 minutes on each side until the crust is golden brown. Using a cast iron skillet and searing in high heat undisturbed will give you the perfect caramelization. Searing also renders the fat layer.
- Insert the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the cut and bake until it registers 130F. Keeping the loin elevated on a bed of onion and apples prevents the meat from getting soggy.
- It’s very important to cover and rest the pork roast after it’s out of the oven. The remaining heat will cook the meat further and the internal temperature will just touch 145F while carving the meat. This also ensures the pork is juicy and moist.
Serving Suggestions
The baked pork loin will be the focal point of your dinner table and will pair well with roasted vegetables, fresh salads, rice, and grains. To keep it simple, serve it with a lot of crusty bread to mop the delicious sauce.
Here are a few dishes that I love to serve with my baked pork loin. These sides just work for your holiday dinner as well.
Storage Suggestions
This beautiful cut of meat is so flavorsome that you will be carving up second and third helpings for your guests. But if you still have some leftovers, place it in an air-tight container along with the sauce and store it in the refrigerator or freezer.
If you have stored already carved pieces, then re-heating it in the microwave should not be a problem. But if you store the entire chunk of meat, then it might take longer for it to heat through.
In this situation, I recommend thawing the pork loin by pulling it from the freezer and placing it in the fridge overnight. If the sauce has considerably thickened, then add a splash of stock to lighten it. Heat the pork loin with the sauce in the microwave on a very low setting, until warm enough. Cooking it longer will dry up the meat.
More main dishes can be served as part of the holiday table
Baked Pork Loin
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Pork loin
- 2 tablespoons Oil/butter
- 2 apples
- 1.5 cup apple juice
- 2 medium onions
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2-3 sprigs rosemary
- 2 sprig thyme
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.
- Trim the silverskin ( I keep the fat cap intact). Pat dry loin well with a kitchen towel. I prefer trussing the loin so that it holds shape and cooks evenly. (Watch the video at the end where I have shown how to truss pork loin)
- Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Heat an oven-proof skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of oil/butter. Sear all 4 sides on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, until it forms a light brown crust. (while searing, it might splatter oil so be careful)
- Remove seared loin, keep aside covered.
- To the same skillet in the remaining oil, add slightly crushed whole garlic, onion wedges, rosemary, and thyme. Stir well and saute onion for a couple of minutes until lightly browned around the edges.
- Add apple wedges, apple juice, dijon mustard, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Give everything a good stir. Arrange apple and onion wedges in a single layer (making a bed for the pork loin to sit).
- Place seared pork loin on top along with any juice from pork in the plate. insert a meat thermometer at the center. Roast the pork loin until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers at least 130°F, for about 30-35 minutes. (ref note 1).
- Once done carefully remove the thermometer and loosely cover it for 15-20 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Using a cast iron skillet and searing in high heat undisturbed will give you the perfect caramelization. Searing also renders the fat layer.
- The lowest safe temperature for cooked pork is at least 145F. To get the internal temperature of 145F, I always take out the roast when the internal temperature registers at 130F. Then cover the roast with foil and let it rest for at least 15-20 minutes. At the end of the resting period, the internal temperature would just be just right.
- If the Apple juice is too sweet, you can skip brown sugar.
- Fresh Apple cider also works instead of apple juice.
Nutrition
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