Serves 2.
- Prep time: 25min
- Cook time: 45min
- Total time: 1h 10min
- Difficulty: Intermediate
Roasted apples, fennel, and red onion complement roasted pork tenderloin perfectly. The flavors complement each other beautifully and add a lovely freshness to the dish. Although it doesn’t really require it, I like to serve it with crispy Rosemary polenta chips.
Ingredients:
- 1 pork tenderloin (about 500g)
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- some salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon wholegrain Dijon mustard
- pinch of chilli flakes
- 1 large fennel bulb, cut into large chunks
- 1 large purple onion, cut into large chunks
- 1 large cooking apple, cut into chunks
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- few rosemary springs
- some salt and pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
In a baking dish, combine the fennel, apple, and onion with the garlic cloves and rosemary springs. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Toast the fennel seeds for one minute in a dry frying pan before roughly crushing them in a mortar and pestle. Season the meat with salt and pepper, then rub it with the fennel seeds. In a nonstick frying pan, heat the olive oil and sear the meat on all sides over medium-high heat until golden brown and slightly caramelized. Place the meat on top of the vegetables and roast for 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and the meat juices run clear. Wrap the meat in foil and set aside for 10 minutes before serving.
In the meantime, return the searing pan to medium heat. Scrape all of the browned meat pieces from the bottom of the pan with vinegar and balsamic vinegar. Cook for a few minutes on medium heat, or until the sauce reduces and becomes sticky, with the Dijon mustard and chili flakes.
Commentary.
I enjoy combining meat and fruit. It complements any meat dish perfectly and can make it more juicy, bright, and succulent. Apples, for example, pair well with pork. In Germany, roast pork with apples and braised red cabbage is common. Use fennel instead of cabbage and roast it with meat and apples for a lighter version.