SUNDAY
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Hard Cider Sauce | Skillet Apples with Sage | Roasted Baby Red Potatoes | Steamed Broccoli Rabe
As we began our descent into Portland, Oregon on Saturday morning I looked out the plane window to see that we were in the middle of nearly black clouds and the rain was hitting the glass with great force. Our little commuter plane bounced around the sky as if we were hitting moguls every few hundred feet and the air of relief, once on the ground, was palpable throughout the cabin. Too small for a covered walkway, our plane found a small corner of the tarmac and, with our stairway rolled into place, the door was opened letting in a blast of cold, wet air. In less than 2 hours we had traveled from Indian summer~like weather in San Francisco to that of deep autumn. Returning to San Francisco later that afternoon, the girls and I must have looked like penguins landing in Palm Beach…jeans, cable knit sweaters, turtle necks and Hunter rain boots. Unloading the car in our driveway, our neighbors greeted us in cargo shorts and flip flops…a few hundred miles can make such a difference.
By the time Michael started the grill this evening, the warm, afternoon sunshine had given way to increasing clouds and wind and before placing the pork on the flames he put on a heavy jacket. Those winds that had carried us home so quickly and ahead of schedule yesterday also brought with them a dose of seasonal weather from the North. With a crackling fire in the fireplace, a cider sauce simmering on the stove, and the smell of browning butter, apples, and sage in the skillet I was reminded of how much I love this season.
Pork tenderloins are not my favorite cut of meat for the grill. This lean cut of meat can easily go from perfect to dry-as-a-bone in less than a minute if not tended to properly. However, a quality meat thermometer can help you track the pork’s progress and, this evening, a simple marinade of citrus, pure maple syrup, garlic and salt ensured a velvet-like texture in every bite…
- 3 pounds whole pork tenderloin
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice + zest from 2 limes
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice + zest from 2 oranges
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled + pushed through a garlic press
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- Place all ingredients into a resealable plastic bag. Place bag into the refrigerator and let marinate for 4 hours {see note below}. Bring to room temperature before grilling.
- Prepare a grill for both direct and indirect cooking. Pork can also be prepared in an oven-proof grill pan on the stovetop and then finished in the oven...if using this method be sure to preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Remove pork from marinade {discarding marinade} and grill over medium heat, turning often until all sides are seared {about 12 minutes}. Move the tenderloins to an area of the grill where the meat will not be over direct heat/flame {or place in a preheated oven} and continue to cook until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F.
- Once the internal temperature of the meat reaches 140 degrees F, promptly remove from heat and tightly wrap in foil and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Times referenced above do not include marinating period. Pork should marinate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours {the longer the better}. Pork, once off the grill, needs 10 minutes to rest.
Shallots, a serrano chile and hard apple cider…the final sauce comes together with the addition of butter, chicken stock and cream. If the sauce does not thicken to your desired consistency {as was the case with mine this evening} you can whisk in a basic roux {equal parts softened butter and flour} at the end, stirring until thickened.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large shallots, minced
- 2 cups hard apple cider
- 1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
- 1 whole serrano chili, stemmed, seeded + finely diced
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream {NOT half + half}
- Salt + freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter {softened} +1 tablespoon flour combined to form a roux {optional}
- In a medium pot, melt butter over medium~high heat and saute shallot in butter until tender {about 5 minutes}. Add cider, chicken stock and serrano chili, bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium~low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the mixture is reduced by half.
- Add heavy whipping cream. Stirring occasionally, continue to simmer until sauce thickens and turns a pale golden color, about 15 more minutes. If, at this point, you find the sauce has not thickened to your liking, you can add the roux and whisk until the sauce thickens.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve drizzled over Grilled Pork Tenderloin.
- It is important that you do NOT use half + half in place of the heavy whipping cream as it will curdle during the cooking process.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 apples {I used 3 Honey Crisp + 2 Granny Smith}, unpeeled, cored and thickly sliced
- 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- Large pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons hard apple cider
- In a cast iron, or other heavy~bottomed skillet heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat and then saute apples until golden and tender.
- Add sage, salt and the cider. Once cider has evaporated, remove from heat and set aside until ready to serve.
- Serve warm alongside Grilled Pork Tenderloins with Hard Cider Sauce
Hardly requiring a recipe, the potatoes were washed, quartered and tossed with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and then spread in a single layer in a baking dish. Into a preheated 375°F oven they went and roasted until golden brown and tender, about 45 minutes. The broccoli was steamed for 3-4 minutes until bright green and crisp~tender and then served immediately. Our dinner plate this evening…
