The Autumnal Feast!!!

I made a pork tederloin tonight. It was from a recipe book and it was an adventure.

As I was growing up, fruit was never used with pork. I ate most of the pork with some kind of mushroom sauce or sauerkraut. The pairing of pork with apples was not even introduced to me until I was in college. That pairing is wonderful and the sweet sugar of fruit is just what a pig needs!!

This recipe is pretty simple and straight-forward. Buy a big tenderloin and use the left-overs--this is great mid-week food. Cut the pork in strips and eat it in tortillas with shredded cabbage and some mustard. The Left-over potential makes this a real treasured find for the Maninthekitchen.

Pork Loin with Apple, Pear and Onion
(Weight Watchers--Annual Recipes for Success 2006 , page 93)

2 tsp dried Rosemary
1 tsp dried Thyme
1 tsp dried Marjoram
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 (12-ounce bottle) of hard apple cider (get it at the liqour store)
1 (3#) pork tenderloin.
2 large, tart, cooking apples (I used Granny Smiths) cut into chunks
2 medium bosc pears, cut into wedges
1 medium red onion, cut into wedges
3 TBSP brown Sugar
2 TBSP all purpose flour
1/3 cup pure maple syrup

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top bag. Pierce the pork tenderloin with a fork many times to prep it for the marinade. Add the pork to the bag and seal. refridgerate the bag for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove pork from the marinade and place it in a shallow raosting pan. Add the fruit and onion. pour reserved marinade from bag over the items in roaster. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over all items. Bake at 350 degrees for 1-hour or until internal temperature exceeds 155 degrees (for me this took 1 hour and 15 minutes, but I had a big tenderloin). Remove pork and let it stand for ten minutes.
While the pork stands, place flour in a medium sauce pan. carefully pour the pan drippings from the roaster into the flour. stir with a wisk and blend. Add syrup and heat to a boil; reduce heat. simmer and let thicken for about a minute.
Slice the roast; serve with fruit and onion and gravy.
Yields 12 servings (3 oz. pork, 1/3 cup fruit, 1 TBSP gravy)
cal 244 pro 25.1g fat 6.1g