This is a wonderful midweek dinner, as the pork and apples cook at the same time, but it’s just as impressive as an entertaining dish, as it can be semi-prepared ahead of time and then heated up before serving. I love it served with rustic mashed potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts for a celebratory fall dinner.
If you like the rustic look, as I do, leave the apples unpeeled. They'll hold their shape a bit better and add color and texture to the dish. But if you want to make it a bit more elegant, peel and core the apples. You can always substitute the cranberry juice for other liquids, such as apple juice or chicken broth.
When cooking any kind of meat, it’s always a good idea to allow it to come to room temperature before cooking. For me, this is as easy as taking all the ingredients out of the fridge and leaving them on the kitchen counter while I set the table and fluff up pillows. That way, when I’m ready, the ingredients are ready, too!
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper, or more to taste
- 1 pork tenderloin
- 3 or 4 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced into quarters
- 1 cup cranberry juice
- 10 sage leaves, plus more for decorating
Add the apples, cranberry juice, and sage leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium, cover, and simmer until the pork is just barely pink, about 15 minutes. Remove the pork, cover with tin foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.
If there’s a lot of liquid, cook the apples until most of the liquid is reduced, about 2 to 3 minutes. At this point, you can rest both the apples and the tenderloin and heat up just before slicing and serving.
To serve, slice the pork into 1/4-inch-thick medallions, place on a serving tray, and garnish with the apples. Decorate with fresh sage leaves.
