I’ve been on an apple cider kick, as this region of the US brags the right to make top quality cider.  One sip of  this brand  was all it took me to become addicted. Phil and I always buy a huge bottle and before it gets half-empty, we get another one, just to be on the safe side.  We keep wondering for how long cider will be available at our grocery stores, and hope the feast won’t end anytime soon.  So far, so good.  I used some of this wonderful apple cider in a marinade for pork tenderloin.  Coupled with a few spices that seemed right to play with the cider, voila’: a very simple and tasty main dish was served!

CIDER-MARINATED PORK KEBABS
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

2 pork tenderloin filets
1/2 cup apple cider
1/8 cup olive oil
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbs agave nectar
1 tsp fennel pollen
1/2 tsp pimente d’Espelette
salt to taste

Remove the silver skin of the pork tenderloin, and cut the meat in large cubes.  Make a marinade by whisking all ingredients (except salt) until fully combined.   Place the pieces of pork in a large bowl and add the marinade, coating all pieces well with it.   Leave it in the fridge, covered, for a few hours or overnight.

Remove the meat from the marinade, thread it into skewers (if using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water for a few hours). Season with salt, and grill to your liking, turning the skewers once during grilling.

Serve with slices of lemon to squeeze over the meat.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

At first, my idea was to include a fennel bulb and a red bell pepper that were laying in the fridge to make a more colorful kebab with the pork.  But, the day was long, and the patience was short.  I kept it ultra simple and the meat went to the grill all by itself.   Still, this was a great weeknight dinner!  The meat was juicy and the addition of agave nectar gave that extra dark grill mark that I find a must…   We had the pork with a little orzo and green beans, simple and delicious.   Leftovers were still quite juicy next day, even when subjected to microwave torture.

Of course, I think fresh slices of fennel would be perfect in these kebabs, echoing the fennel pollen in the marinade, so if your day is shorter and the patience longer, go for it!  😉

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