Cider Braised Pork Loin Recipes

CIDER-ROASTED PORK LOIN WITH PICKLED APPLES AND CHILES

Steps:

• To make the pickled apples, in a small pot, combine 1/4 cup water with vinegar, sugar, allspice, coriander and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Put apples and jalapeños in a medium heatproof bowl or jar, and pour hot vinegar mixture on top. Let cool to room temperature and let pickle for at least 2 hours. (Mixture can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in the refrigerator.)
• Rub pork all over with rosemary, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Refrigerate, fat side up and uncovered, for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place pork on a rimmed 11-by-18-inch sheet pan. Scatter apples, onion, garlic and cinnamon stick in an even layer around pork loin. Transfer baking sheet to oven rack, and add chicken stock, then carefully pour in cider (it's best to position pan in oven, then pour in liquid). You may not need all of the cider here. You can add more later as it roasts - stop if it threatens to overflow.
• Roast until pork reaches 135 degrees internally, 35 to 50 minutes. Keep an eye on the pork. If all the cider evaporates and baking dish starts to burn while the pork is cooking, add a splash more cider.
• Transfer pork to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, transfer roasted apples, onions and garlic to a serving platter (discard cinnamon sticks). Scrape jus and any golden bits from baking sheet into a small pot, and bring to a simmer (add a little more chicken stock if needed). Whisk in butter and a pinch of salt and cook until the sauce is reduced by about a third (you just want to thicken it up a bit), 3 to 7 minutes. Pour in any juices from the cutting board where the pork loin is resting.
• Slice pork and place on a serving platter, along with the roasted apples and onions. Drizzle some of the sauce and also some of the liquid from the pickled apples on top. Garnish with the rosemary, and serve with pickled apples and jalapeños alongside.

CIDER-BRAISED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Generously salt all sides of the pork shoulder chunks. Heat oil in a heavy pot over high heat. Brown pork shoulder pieces until surface is seared and crusty, about 3 or 4 minutes per side. Transfer browned pork to a plate. Add onions to oil and reduce heat to medium and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook and stir about 2 minutes. Add torn sage leaves; cook until onions soften and begin to brown, stirring frequently. Pour cider into pot; stir to deglaze bottom. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir in cider vinegar. Reduce heat to low.
• Transfer pork shoulder pieces to cider mixture. Cover; simmer gently on low 1 hour. Remove lid and turn pieces over. Cover; simmer on low until meat is fork tender, 1 to 2 more hours. Transfer pork to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Raise heat to high and bring sauce to a simmer. Whisk in creme fraiche. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half and is slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in a pinch of cayenne. Transfer pork back to pot; reduce heat to low. Baste pork with sauce while it heats through and becomes perfectly tender, and the sauce is as thick as you want it, about 15 more minutes.

SLOW COOKER APPLE CIDER BRAISED PORK

Steps:

• Season pork with salt and black pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sear pork on all sides in the hot oil until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer pork to the slow cooker.
• Reduce stovetop temperature to medium; cook and stir shallots and celery in the skillet until they begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in apple cider vinegar and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until liquid is nearly evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Pour shallot mixture over pork shoulder in the slow cooker. Add apple cider, garlic cloves, and bay leaf. Cover, set slow cooker to Low, and cook until fork-tender but not falling apart, about 6 hours. Turn pork over every 1 to 2 hours. Remove pork roast to a plate and cover loosely with foil.
• Pour remaining liquid from the slow cooker through a fine mesh strainer into a large saucepan; place over high heat. Discard bay leaf and other solids. Bring sauce mixture to a boil, decrease heat and cook, skimming fat from the top, until reduced to 1/4 of the original volume, about 10 minutes.
• Remove sauce from heat and stir in Dijon mustard and cayenne pepper. Slowly whisk in cold butter until incorporated. Sprinkle in fresh herbs and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
• Cut pork into 1/4-thick slices and serve with sauce poured over the top.

CIDER-BRAISED PORK LOIN WITH SAUTEED APPLES

Steps:

• Combine the salt, pepper, sage and thyme and rub into pork.
• Wrap pork in plastic wrap and chill 2 hours or overnight.
• Pat pork dry with paper towels.
• In a large, ovenproof casserole heat oil over moderate-high heat until hot but not smoking and brown the pork.
• Transfer to a plate, pour off all but 2 tblsps fat, and cook onion and garlic over moderate heat, stirring, for 1 minute.
• Return pork to casserole, add cider and bring to boil.
• Braise pork, covered, in a preheated 350F (165C) oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour.
• Transfer to a heated platter, discard string and let stand 10 minutes.
• Spoon off fat from pan juices and puree pan juices with a blender (or immersion blender).
• Season to taste.
• Serve in a sauceboat.
• Arrange sautéed apples around sliced pork.

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH APPLE CIDER REDUCTION

Steps:

• Heat oven to 500 degrees F and arrange rack in the upper third.
• Pat pork tenderloins dry with paper towels, brush with oil, and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 pieces of pork tenderloin and cook until brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes. Set pork aside on a baking sheet and repeat with remaining pieces.
• Place pork in oven and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the middle of the tenderloin registers 145 to 150 degrees F, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place pan over high heat, add cider and vinegar and stir, scraping up any browned bits. Cook until mixture is reduced by 2/3, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, stir in maple syrup and remove from heat until pork is cooked.
• When pork is ready, remove to a cutting board to rest about 5 minutes. Warm sauce over medium-high heat, add pork and any accumulated juices and spoon sauce over meat to completely coat. When pork is warm, return pork to cutting board and slice thinly. Serve with pan sauce spooned over.

CIDER-ROASTED PORK TENDERLOINS

Steps:

• Combine the cider, maple syrup, and 3 tablespoons of salt in a 4-cup glass measuring cup. With a mortar and pestle, grind the fennel, peppercorns, coriander, and cinnamon together and add to the cider mixture. Place the tenderloins in a 1-gallon Ziploc bag and pour in the marinade. Add the ginger and rosemary, squeeze the air out of the bag, seal, and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and dry them well with paper towels. Discard the marinade. Place the tenderloins on a sheet pan and rub them all over with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted in the center reads 125 degrees. Remove from the oven and cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Cut the tenderloins diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices, sprinkle with salt, and serve warm with chutney.

APPLE CIDER PORK POT ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
• Season the pork with the salt and pepper.
• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the pork and brown well on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
• Remove the pork and add the onion wedges to the pot. Cook for a few minutes, letting them get a little color but being careful not to let them burn.
• Return the pork to the pot, placing it on the bed of onions. Add the cider and 1 cup (235 ml) water and bring to a simmer, then wedge the apple pieces under the meat among the onions. Toss in the thyme.
• Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 3 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender, shreds easily, and is a deep brown color; the apples will have caramelized.

CIDER BRAISED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH APPLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Add the flour, salt and pepper to a shallow dish and whisk together. Add the tenderloin, turning to coat it completely, shaking off any excess.
• In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and when it is hot add the pork and sear, turning to brown on all sides, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any oil.
• Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the cider, scraping the bottom to remove any browning bits. Add the rosemary, thyme and mustard to the skillet, increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Return the pork to the pan, cover and transfer to the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the apple quarters and continue to cook, covered, in the oven for an additional 15 minutes until the apples are slightly soft but still firm and the pork registers 145°F on an instant-read thermometer.
• Transfer the apples and pork to a plate and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
• While the pork is resting, place the pot over medium-high heat and bring the liquid to a boil, if it is very thin then allow it to reduce by 1/3, whisk in the butter to make a glossy sauce. Transfer the sauce to a dish or pitcher.
• To serve: Place the pork onto a cutting board and slice crosswise into 8 slices. Arrange the slices of pork on a serving platter with the apple slices and spoon the sauce over the pork.