Roast Pork Loin with Apples and Apple Salsa

This recipe for pork loin is simply delicious and very easy, and classy enough to serve to company. To save steps you can brown the roast and veggies in the oven, just turn heat down after 20 minutes.


2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (2-pound) boneless center cut pork loin, trimmed and tied
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon each, cinnamon, nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
3-4 thick slices of bacon, optional
1 medium onion, thickly sliced
2 carrots,peeled, washed, thickly sliced
2 stalks celery, washed, thickly, sliced
3 cloves garlic, smashed, sliced (can be inserted into slots cut into the pork loin, if desired)
3 sprigs fresh thyme
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, divided
2 apples, such as Gala or Mutzu, peeled, cored and cut into 8 slices or skip in favour of the Apple salsa
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

Apple Salsa
Wash and core a green and red apple, cut into medium dice, add a quarter of a red onion, medium dice, a hot pepper, small dice, (with or without seeds, it makes it hotter if you include the seeds), 1/4 of sweet red pepper,small dice 1/4 tsp.salt, pinch of pepper,1/2 tsp.sugar, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, a few dashes of hot pepper sauce if desired, mix fruit and vegetables in a medium sized bowl, sprinkle with the lime juice, then in a jar with a tight fitting lid add the salt, pepper, sugar, vinegar, oil and hot sauce. Shake, taste for seasoning, adjust as necessary, pour over the apple/ veggie mixture, stir well to coat, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve meat. Can be made 2-3 hours ahead of time.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, season the pork loin all over generously with mixture of salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and pepper. Do not trim or cut the layer of fat covering the loin, if it has one, the fat layer helps to prevent the meat from drying out,if it has no outside fat,you can add a few pieces of thickly sliced bacon to the top of the meat, after browning. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme sprigs, and 2 tablespoons of the butter (cut into tiny pieces to dot the veggies)to the roasting pan or Dutch oven, place meat in the center of the vegetables, brown all in the preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, turning meat and veggies over midway to ensure even browning. Turn oven down to 350 degrees F, then add the sliced apples,stirring them into the veggie mixture, cover top of roast with bacon, if desired, if not using bacon or if there is no fatty layer on top of meat, cover the browned meat loosely with a piece of buttered parchment paper, roast the loin until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 140 to 150 degrees F, about 40 to 45 minutes.(See Cook's Note.)

Transfer the pork onto a cutting board and cover it loosely with the parchment paper and foil while you make the sauce. Arrange the apples and vegetables on a serving platter and set aside. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs. Return the roasting pan or Dutch oven to a high heat and add the vinegar scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen up any browned bits. Reduce by half then add the cider and reduce by about half again. Pull the pan from the heat and whisk in the mustard, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of cold butter. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

Remove the strings from the roast and slice into 1/2-inch thick pieces and arrange over the apple mixture. You may wish to serve the fresh apple salsa alongside roast for garnish. Drizzle some sauce over meat and serve the rest on the side.

Cook's Note: Pork cooked this way will be slightly pink, but today's pork products are safe eaten this way, however if desired, cook the pork to 160 degrees F, but be aware that this lean cut will not be moist at the higher interior temperature.