Pork tenderloin with apple gravy

Enjoy a classic pairing in a new format!

A lifelong love of pork chops and applesauce inspired this dish. With a nice twist on traditional gravy, this apple gravy has a sweet-sour tang that is subtle yet very flavourful. Cutting the pork tenderloin into medallions is a great way to get more servings out of a small quantity of meat. I prefer Gala apples for this dish because they soften but don’t fall apart when cooked. I like to serve the pork and a generous portion of apple gravy on top of brown rice or mashed potatoes; it would probably be very good on pasta as well.

Ingredients

• 1 pork tenderloin
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) flour
• 2 green onions
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) cumin
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups (250 – 375 mL) chicken stock
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 mL) each salt, pepper
• 1 1/2 (22.5 mL) tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) honey
• 2 apples (Gala, Empire or Macintosh)
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) cornstarch, dissolved in 3 tablespoons water
• minced green onion tops or chives, to garnish

Method

• Slice pork tenderloin into medallions approximately 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick.
• Remove green onion tops, mince and set aside. Finely dice the white parts of the green onions and reserve.
• In a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan that has a lid, heat oil over medium-high heat (the lid will be used a bit later).
• While oil is warming, dredge pork pieces in flour (I like to put the flour in a small plastic bag and add a few pieces of pork at a time. Close the bag, give them a shake and they’re coated). Once dredged, set pork medallions on a clean plate and discard remaining flour.
• Working in small batches, sear pork in oil until nicely browned on both sides. Avoid overcrowding in the pan; remove seared pieces to a fresh plate as needed to make room for more.
• When all pork pieces have been seared, add green onions and cumin to the pan.
• Stir for a minute then return pork medallions from the plate to the pan.
• Add chicken stock, salt and pepper; stir to combine. Note that the pork should be just barely covered by the chicken stock – add more (or a bit of water) if needed.
• Add vinegar and honey; stir again.
• Bring mixture to a boil, then cover pot and reduce heat to medium low. Cook pork mixture for 10 minutes, flipping pork pieces once.
• While pork is cooking, peel, core and slice apples into twelfths. After the pork has cooked for 10 minutes, add apples to the pan and stir so the slices nestle into the sauce. Cover again and cook 10 – 15 minutes longer, until apples are tender.
• At this point, you can either finish the dish and serve it, or put it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. If putting in the fridge, reheat on medium-low heat till bubbling and meat is warm, then proceed with next step.
• Just before serving, add cornstarch and water mixture to the sauce to thicken it slightly. Stir gently but thoroughly to make sure the thickening is evenly distributed and let the sauce cook for 2 minutes.
• Serve pork medallions with apples and gravy on top; sprinkle with minced green onions or chives. Put any remaining gravy in a warmed jug and pass it around at the table.Serves 2 – 3; recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.