| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 30 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Inactive: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 55 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 sprigs rosemary leaves, roughly chopped
- 2 sprigs sage, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- Pinch crushed red pepper
- Salt
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 (6-chop) pork rib roast
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 1 bundle thyme, tied with string
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 quarts apple cider
- Chunky Applesauce, recipe follows
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks (toss the apples in lemon juice if not using right away)
- 1 1/2 cups of the reserved cider from the Roasted Pork Loin with Cider
- 1/4 cup apple cider
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a food processor, combine the chopped herbs with the garlic, crushed red pepper, a generous pinch of salt and enough olive oil to make a paste. Brush the paste on the outside of the pork rib roast.
- Toss the onions with olive oil, and salt, and place in the bottom of a roasting pan. Add the thyme, bay leaves and 2/3 of the cider. Place the pork on top of the onions and place in the preheated oven. Roast the pork at 425 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes or until the pork has developed a lovely brown crust. Check the pork, stir the onions and cider if they are starting to burn. Add more cider when the level starts to go down.
- Lower the oven to 375 degrees F and roast for another 30 to 35 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reads 150 degrees F. If the crust on the pork starts to get too dark, cover it with foil. Remove 1 1/2 cups of the cider from the bottom of the roasting pan and reserve for the applesauce.
- Let the pork rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. When ready to carve remove the pork from the bone and cut the loin into thin slices. Serve with the onions braised in cider and Chunky Applesauce.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan large enough to accommodate the apples. Add the apples and saute over medium-low heat until the apples start to soften. Add the reserved cider, apple cider and cinnamon and cook over low-medium heat until most of the cider has evaporated and the apples are cooked and very soft.
- Add the heavy cream and walnuts and cook until the cream has reduced by half. The end result should be a very chunky, sweet/savory applesauce.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 1805 |
| Total Fat | 140 g |
| Saturated Fat | 54 g |
| Carbohydrates | 63 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g |
| Sugar | 47 g |
| Protein | 72 g |
| Cholesterol | 318 mg |
| Sodium | 2244 mg |
Reviews
The flavor of the roast was great, but for some reason it took a lot longer than the total of 1 hour to reach the desired temp. of 150. The meat was at room temp so that didn’t account for the extra 30-40 minutes. I actually pulled the meat out at 145 and it was perfect. Wasn’t crazy about the applesauce. Next time, if there is one, I would leave out the cream and nuts.
This pork loin recipe was tender, succulent and flavorful. My entire family devoured it: even the mini food critics! In this shelter in place time, this recipe made my family happy! Thank you Anne ❤️
I made a 7 lb loin using this recipe. I little more than doubled the rub/paste of herbs, then followed the rest as written. I used Angry Orchard hard cider, the Hop’n mad Apple flavor. I bought a 6 pack and used 3.5 bottles for the recipe. It was perfect. I substituted evaporated milk for heavy cream in the Apple sauce portion, and at the end, I doubled the walnuts. It was delicious and my guests asked for seconds. The Apple sauce was gone at the end of the meal. Everyone loved it. The pork was cooked to perfection, and I did get the nice golden crust on top. It was perfect. My only complaint would be that you have to wait for the loin to be done to use the cider from, to make the applesauce. I expected to make sauce while loin cooled (15-20 min). In actuality, it took closer to an hour to complete the apple sauce portion of the recipe, and my apples were prepared when I started.
Great recipe! I used less apple cider than called for— pan size probably dictates how much cider is used.
This is my go to recipe! If I don’t have apple cider, I just add some cinnamon to some apple juice. I never use bundled time thyme, I just wisk some ground thyme into the juice. The first time I made this recipe, I did exactly as it said.. so great. The next time, I just rubbed the pork with whatever dried herbs I had and it still came out great! I’ve never discovered the “lovely brown crust” either.
I followed the recipe exactly, excited to try a new cut of meat for me. It seemed like way too much apple cider with the meat, and it was! I think it kept the roast from getting the “lovely brown crust” she described, and there wasn’t enough time to cook down all the cider and onions after the meat was done. The 150º for the meat was perfect and my guests loved the dish. Also next time, I will make a less soft applesauce, with a tarter flavor to accompany the pork . . and will skip the cream.
Absolutely delicious! The pork was incredibly moist and flavorful. Definitely a keeper!
Not impressed. It sounded so good too. My loin was maybe a little smaller so it way over cooked, the liquid never cooked down and it had very little flavor. Not worth all the work. Sorry to say I wont be making this again.
Wonderful blend of herbs exquisite with the apple sauce. New favorite
Delicious! The roast was moist and tender. The onion-cider sauce put this dish over the top. And I loved the aroma and the taste of the fresh herbs. My house smelled so good. This meal definitely made my family happy.