Rocky Mountain Pork Loin & Savory Applesauce
- Details
Early Fall harvest provides a perfect menu to highlight our new Rocky Mountain Rub. Toasted juniper with notes of citrus and pine combine with oregano and savory, black pepper and allspice to give a taste of the mountain high country. Rubbed on pork tenderloin and served on a bed of vinegar-massaged kale and savory applesauce, it makes a hearty meal that is light enough for early fall days. It still hints at summer. The applesauce is a show stopper in its own right, seasoned with brown butter and Poultry Rub. The batch we made for this recipe is pretty big thanks to an abundance of apples in our orchard, and it can be canned to last. If you don’t have the volume, just pare it down to make enough for this delightful meal. A quick saute of crispy leeks with butter and Rocky Mountain Rub is the perfect garnish.
Ingredients
For the Applesauce
- 6 pounds apples
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 Turkish bay leaves
- 1 stick butter
- 2 tablespoons Poultry Rub
- 1/2 cup Madrona Smoked Honey
For the Pork
- 1-1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Rocky Mountain Rub
For the Vegetables
- 1 bunch green leafy kale
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 small leek
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon Rocky Mountain Rub
Instructions
For the Applesauce
- Peel, core and chop or slice the apples, removing any seeds and seed husks. Place the apples in a large pot and all the lemon juice, bay leaves and salt. Simmer over low heat, partially covered for about a half hour, until the apples become soft.
- Using a potato masher, smash the apples into a chunky sauce. Remove the lid and continue cooking at a low simmer, 30 minutes more.
- While the apples are cooking, melt the butter in a separate pan. Cook until the butter begins to brown, then stir in the Poultry Rub and remove from heat. Add the smoked honey to the butter mixture and set aside.
- When the applesauce is cooked and soft, drizzle in the butter mixture and cook 10-15 minutes more.
For the Pork
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Add the olive oil to a cast iron skillet and preheat on the stovetop on high heat.
- Sprinkle the Rocky Mountain Rub on the pork tenderloin, roll and pat the spice on the meat to coat well.
- Add the meat to the hot pan and sear about 1 minute on each side until all sides are browned.
- Put the skillet in the oven and cook until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees, about 30 minutes.
For the Vegetables
- While the pork is cooking, prepare the vegetables.
- De-stem and chop the kale. Place it in a large bowl and sprinkle with the apple cider vinegar. Massage well and set aside.
- Thinly slice the white and light green parts of the leek.
- In a saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the Rocky Mountain Rub.
- Add the leeks and saute until tender with crispy edges, about 5 minutes. Cover and set aside.
Plating
- Allow the pork to rest a few minutes and slice into rounds. For each dish, begin with a portion of kale, topped with applesauce, then pork, topped with leeks.
- Enjoy!
This is an absolutely fantastic dish! I don’t ever follow recipes exactly, but made this close enough to the recipe to post a comment. I’m not usually inclined to use applesauce in recipes since I assume it would be sweet, but this sauce was amazing. The flavor layering of the dish was excellent. Thank you!