I find pork difficult to cook...if you overcook it it gets tough and dry, if you under cook it..well you don't under cook pork. So I use a meat thermometer and really, that was my saviour! I now create beautiful juicy pork dishes! Here is a favourite in our house. Roasted Pork Tenderloin stuffed with Apples and Onions!
Take a pork tenderloin and let it rest a few minutes to get it to room temperature if its been in the fridge.
With a sharp knife slice the tenderloin in half. I never pound my meat with a meat mallet if i am stuffing it. It changes the texture of the meat. Season the pork lightly with Salt and Pepper and set aside.
In a sauce pan add 1 finely chopped onion and 1 tsp Olive oil to medium high heat. Season and saute.
Add 1 finely chopped Apple. I use granny smith apples with the skin removed.
Add a little Garlic
And some fresh Thyme
Once the onions are cooked and the apples start to soften the filling is ready for the pork. Fill the sliced pork tenderloins with the mixture.
Roll up the tenderloins and place them in a baking dish. IF my husband had not used all the cooking twine for measurements of our deck (don't ask) i would tie the pork and sear it on the stove top first on all sides. But baking worked just fine.
Season the top of the pork with Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper and place in a 475F oven for 10 minutes to sear, then lower to 275F. I can honestly tell you that I have no idea how long I cooked this for. I gave all my trust to the meat thermometer to tell me when the pork was ready (it has a pork setting on it and it beeps when it is done). I can tell you it was between 30mins to 45mins of cooking after I seared them. So if you are like me...and never know when pork is ready..but a meat thermometer. Trust me..I use this baby for everything!
Perfectly cooked pork! Remove from the oven and leave to rest, loosely covered
with tin foil, for about 10 minutes before slicing.
Slice and serve!
Just a few notes on this one from feedback I received:
Every oven is different, mine is a convection oven and these temperatures work for me. If you find them to be on the high side lower the temperature by about 25F.
We have made this recipe a number of times...each time altering the cooking time with the meat thermometer. Although the meat thermometer is helpful it is never 100%. Test out different cooking times with your thermometer to understand how long you should be cooking your meats.
Don't chop the apples too small!! They will just turn to apple sauce! For type of apple use granny smith. They retain their shape during the cooking process.
Remove your pork 5 degrees BEFORE the desired Cooking temperature. The pork will continue to cook during the resting process and will release some juices in the pan to make a sauce of sorts if you like.
If you have enough juices in your pan, return them to a small pot and add about a 1/2 cup of apple cider. Season to taste and reduce for about 5-10 minutes on medium heat.
