Hard Cider Pork Loin

Happy belated Thanksgiving!!

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday weekend.  Ours was a wonderfully jam-packed family weekend that was stuffed to the gills with love, laughter, and really freaking awesome food. :)

But now the weekend is over.  It's back to reality.  My reality includes a more-hyper-than-normal four year-old, a sick six month-old, a house to clean/decorate, parties to plan, and shopping to do.  And that's just to get things started!!

Thank God for easy, delicious recipes, like this one, so we can still eat well even if I'm running around like a crazy person.

Hard Cider Pork Loin
Recipe from Claire Robinson

2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus 1 tablespoon cold
2 1/2 lbs pork loin roast
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 onion, peeled and sliced
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced
1 bottle, (12 ounces) hard cider, plus more as necessary

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

I love cooking apples and onions together.

2.  Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add 2 tablespoons of butter. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper, to taste, and sear on all sides in the hot pan until golden brown; set aside. Add the onions and apples and season again with salt and pepper. Cook until they begin to caramelize, then pour in the hard cider and scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.

Season liberally.  Yes, it will taste better!

3.  Bring to a simmer and nestle the browned pork roast back into the pan. Cover with a lid and put in the oven to braise until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 25 to 30 minutes.

THAT'S the color you're looking for.

4.  Remove the pork roast from the pot and transfer to a carving board; tent with foil to keep warm. Transfer the contents of the pot to a food processor or blender and puree, then return the puree to the pan. Bring to a boil, season with salt and pepper, to taste, then reduce the heat to low and add more cider if gravy is too thick.

The delicious beginning of a beautiful gravy

5.  Add the remaining tablespoon of cold butter, whisking constantly as it melts. Remove from heat when the gravy is smooth and shiny and the butter is completely melted.  Slice pork loin roast and arrange on a serving platter. Serve with sauce and enjoy!

This pork roast is SO YUMMY!!!  And since it requires very little hands-on time, it's super easy to pull together.  I typically like this with traditional mashed potatoes and steamed veggies.  However it's also really good with cheesy polenta if you'd like to try something new and different.