Rosemary Apple Butter Pork Loin

Happy Monday, y’all!  Sorry there was no Fight Back Friday post – or any Friday post, for that matter – but once in awhile the unbloggable rears its ugly head and you just can’t find the time or inclination to do much more than come to terms with it.  Ah, well…hopefully it’s over and done with and I can just move forward.

At any rate, autumn is here in our little neck of the woods, with chilly morning temperatures and changing leaves and an abundance at the farmer’s market.  Part of that abundance includes apples, which are coming into the the peak of their season, along with all of the things that can be made with them – apple cider, applesauce, apple butter, apple pies.

Apples are also an natural accompaniment to pork, and this recipe gives you a boneless pork loin roast rubbed with rosemary, then basted with a mixture of apple butter (no sugar added, of course), onions, white wine and Dijon mustard.  It is truly delicious.

Make sure you keep your instant-read thermometer on hand; by roasting the pork to an internal temperature of 140º F, you’ll ensure that it remains juicy and tender instead of dry and tough.  Also, for my non-pork friends, the apple butter sauce would be lovely served with roasted chicken or turkey.

Rosemary Apple Butter Pork Loin

Rosemary Apple Butter Pork Loin

serves 6

2 pounds pork loin roast
3 tablespoons lard
1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons lard or butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 cup apple butter, no sugar added

Preheat the oven to 350º F.

Mix the rosemary, salt and pepper together in a small bowl and rub over the surface of the pork; set aside.

Melt the 2 tablespoons of lard (or butter) in a small skillet over medium heat; add the onion and cook until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Increase the heat and add the wine; heat to boiling. Add the mustard, pepper and apple butter; stir well and remove from heat. Set aside.

Melt the 3 tablespoons lard in a large, heavy Dutch oven over high heat; sear the pork until golden brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat.

Smear 1/4 of the apple butter mixture over the pork loin roast; cover and place in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes; turn the roast and spoon another 1/4 of the apple butter mixture over the pork. Return to the oven. Repeat, basting the pork with 1/4 of the apple butter mixture, and bake for another 20 minutes or until the pork has reached an internal temperature of 140 degrees.

Remove the pork loin roast from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Warm the remaining apple butter mixture; spoon over the sliced pork and serve.

Nutrition (per serving): 436 calories, 30g total fat, 105.4mg cholesterol, 453.7mg sodium, 603.9mg potassium, 6.2g carbohydrates, <1g fiber, 4.3g sugar, 30.3g protein.

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