15 | January | 2014 | Bewitching Kitchen

This was a lightning quick dish to prepare, with a deliciously tasty outcome… Pork and apples go together quite well, but often a recipe will call for cooking down the apples to a saucy consistency. Not the case here, and that was a nice change of pace. The apples retain their bite, the pork gets tender and super-juicy.

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH SAUTEED APPLES
(inspired by a recipe from Cooking Light magazine)

1 pork tenderloin, cut in 12 pieces
salt and pepper
1 Tablespoon grape seed oil
1 leek, sliced thin (white and light green part only)
Gala apples, sliced thin
3/4 cup apple cider
1 cup chicken (or veggie) stock
squeeze of lemon juice

Pound each piece of pork lightly, protecting the meat with a piece of Saran Wrap. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil on a large skillet. Sauté the pork slices in two batches if necessary, until they are golden brown on both sides. Remove the meat to a platter. Add a little more oil if the pan seems too dry, and sauté the leeks until they begin to get soft. Add the apples and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring gently. Add the cider, cover and cook for a couple of minutes longer.

Add the chicken stock, put the meat back in the pan, cover it and simmer on low heat until the meat is cooked to your liking and the apples start to disintegrate, but still keep their shape. Adjust seasoning, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice right before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: When I bought the pork tenderloin, my idea was to grill it. But that particular Wednesday the temperature was a “balmy” 11 degrees Fahrenheit, which is known to kill creatures born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil. Since Phil was coming home straight from a meeting and therefore unavailable to brave the elements, I quickly changed gears and searched for options compatible with my survival. I happened to have all ingredients to prepare this dish, as apples and cider are always in our fridge this time of the year.

Dinner is served!