Cider-Baked Pork Tenderloin with Apple and Thyme
Pork tenderloin roasted over apple and potato slices, with cider poured in to keep everything juicy. The potatoes turn golden at the edges while the pork stays tender and faintly sweet from the apples.
- Total
- 55 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 35 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Roasting · Resting meat
- Savory
- No rush
- French
- Oven
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 220°C. Cut the potatoes into 1 cm slices and the apple into 1 cm wedges, discarding the core.
~8 min
Uniform 1 cm slices ensure the potatoes and apples cook at the same rate as the pork.
-
Toss the potato slices with 1 tbsp olive oil, 0.25 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Lay them in a single layer in the roasting dish and bake for 15 minutes, until the edges start to brown.
~15 min
A single layer with space between slices lets the potatoes brown at the edges instead of steaming.
Roasting Roast at high heat (220°C) to brown edges, but watch that the cider doesn't evaporate completely; add water if the pan looks dry.
-
While step 2 cooks
Pat the pork tenderloin dry and season it all over with the remaining 0.25 tsp salt, the remaining black pepper and 0.5 tsp thyme. While the potatoes roast, tuck the apple wedges among them and set the pork on top.
~5 min
Drying the pork helps the seasonings adhere and encourages browning; tucking apples among the potatoes lets them soften and flavour the dish.
Tuck the apple wedges cut side down so they caramelise against the hot dish instead of steaming in the cider.
-
Pour 120 ml cider around the pork and potatoes. Roast for 18 to 20 minutes, until the pork reaches 63°C at its thickest point and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.
~20 min
Pouring cider around the meat adds moisture to the pan, preventing the pork from drying out while the potatoes finish cooking.
If the cider reduces too far and the dish looks dry, add 2 tbsp water to the pan and tilt it to loosen the browned juices.
Roasting Roast at high heat (220°C) to brown edges, but watch that the cider doesn't evaporate completely; add water if the pan looks dry.
-
Move the pork to a board and let it rest for 5 minutes. Spoon the pan juices over the potatoes and apples before serving.
~5 min
Resting the pork for 5 minutes allows juices to redistribute so they don't run out when sliced.
Resting meat Let the pork rest for 5 minutes before slicing so the juices redistribute; cutting too early lets them run out and dries the meat.