I love pork tenderloins for a delicious, quick, and easy dinner. Today’s Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloins with Poached Spiced Apples is a fantastic dinner. Luscious and lovely pork slices served with a sweet and spicy sauce made with tart apples is a beautiful combination. And what a fun spin on the classic pairing of pork chops and applesauce!
Pork tenderloins are extremely lean pieces of meat and benefit from the prosciutto wrap. It helps protect the pork and adds some delicious self-basting with its own fat.
Pork tenderloin wrapped with prosciutto
Most of the time one end of a pork tenderloin is decidedly thinner than the rest of the roast. This causes that end to wind up terribly over cooked by the time the rest is ready. To get around this, fold the thin part (sometimes called a tail) under so that the whole roast is the same thickness. Everything will cook perfectly!
Wrapped pork tenderloins, hot from the oven
Be sure not to confuse a pork tenderloin with a pork loin. Tenderloins are smaller, usually less than half the weight and much more delicate and tender. A pork loin is closer to 4 pounds with a fat cap on it. It is often served stuffed and rolled and takes about an hour to an hour and a half to cook to 140°F. Both make delicious meals but they are very different in how you prepare and cook them.
If by chance you wind up with a pork loin instead of a tenderloin, I’ve got you covered. You can make an incredible meal by following this recipe for Lemon and Prosciutto-Stuffed Pork Loin from my friend Jill Silverman Hough. It is a spectacular recipe! If you are gluten-free you can either leave out the panko from the stuffing or use gluten-free breadcrumbs instead.
Poached apples are made with fresh, tart apples, fresh ginger, brown sugar, orange juice and zest, lemon juice, and spices. They all cook together until the flavors blend into a scrumptious sauce. One bite and you’ll want to serve it with everything! The apples can be made ahead to make it even easier and faster to get this dinner on the table!
This beautiful Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Poached Spiced Apples is a meal fancy enough for special occasions but easy enough to make for family dinner. It looks sophisticated but is actually quite simple to make. I love meals like that! I hope you enjoy this as much as The Artist and I do.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know in the comments and rate the recipe, I love hearing from you!
Key Ingredients for Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Poached Spiced Apples:
- Shallot, fresh ginger, orange zest, orange juice, brown sugar
- Kosher salt, Granny Smith apples, pork tenderloins, rosemary
- Thyme, black pepper, olive oil, prosciutto
PRO Tip:
Using prosciutto to wrap the tenderloins helps protect them and bastes them with the fat, keeping the meat moist and tender.
PRO Tip:
The cinnamon and allspice help balance the ginger in the poached apples. Your house will smell incredible when it is cooking!!
How to make Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Poached Spiced Apples:
- Make the Poached Spiced Apples: Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated; remove from the heat and cool
- Prepare the Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloins: Place dried tenderloins on a baking sheet, rub with oil and sprinkle generously with rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper; fold the thinner end of the roast under so that it is the same thickness from one end to the other
- Wrap the entire roasts with prosciutto pieces, using the prosciutto to hold the tail in place; make sure the prosciutto pieces and tails are all are tucked under the roast
- Roast in a 425°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until an instant read thermometer registers 140°F in the center of each roast; transfer to a cutting board, cover with foil, and let rest 15 minutes
- Cut into thick slices, fan them out on the plates and serve with the sautéed apples
PRO Tip:
One trick for even cooking of pork tenderloins is to tuck the thinner end under itself so that the whole roast is the same thickness. Traditionally you would use kitchen twine to tie the roast and hold the tail in place, but in this case, you can use the prosciutto to wrap the roast and secure the tail.
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Grater/zester
- Citrus reamer
- Medium saucepan
- Baking sheet pan
- Instant read thermometer
Gluten-Free Tips:
Because you are making this with mostly fresh ingredients, it is very close to being naturally gluten-free! Always keep an eye on spices to be sure they don’t contain any gluten ingredients. And watch the prosciutto, some preserved meats can contain gluten. Read your labels!
Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloins with Poached Spiced Apples (GF/DF)
Today's Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloins with Poached Spiced Apples is a fantastic dinner. Luscious pork slices served with a sweet and spicy sauce made with tart apples is a beautiful combination and a fun spin on pork chops and applesauce!
Ingredients
Poached Spiced Apples
- 1 to 2 shallots, sliced
- 1 tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp grated orange peel
- 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 2 oranges)
- 2 to 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained (about 1 lemon)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into 1/2-inch-dice
Pork Tenderloins
- Poached Spiced Apples (from above)
- 2 pork tenderloins (2-1/2 to 3 lb total)
- 1-1/2 tsp dried ground rosemary
- 1-1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp kosher salt (2 tsp table salt)
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp organic olive oil
- Sliced prosciutto (about 8 slices per tenderloin)
Instructions
- Make the Poached Spiced Apples: Combine the shallots, ginger, orange peel and juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, salt and spices in a medium-size saucepan. Stir to combine. Add the apples and stir again.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Taste and adjust the sugar and spices if needed. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- The apples can be made up to 2 days ahead; cover and refrigerate. Warm slightly before serving.
- Prepare the Pork: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Set out a baking sheet pan or roasting pan.
- While the apples are finishing cooking, prep the pork: Pat the tenderloins dry with paper towels and place on the baking sheet pan or roasting pan. Combine the rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Rub the tenderloins all over with the olive oil. Sprinkle all sides with the herb mixture.
- If there is a thinner tail on one end of the tenderloin, fold it underneath so the roast is an even thickness from one end to the other. Wrap the tenderloins completely with slices of prosciutto, overlapping them as you go. Be sure the tails are tucked underneath the roasts and use the prosciutto slices to hold the tails in place.
- Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the middle of the tenderloins registers 140°F. Timing will depend on the size of your tenderloins.
- Remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, cover the tenderloins with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Cut thick slices, fan them out on the plates, and serve warm with the Sautéed Apples.
- Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
Adapted from an Ina Garten recipe
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 229Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 889mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 4gSugar: 27gProtein: 10g
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