Lean, quick-cooking pork tenderloin is the perfect roast for weekends and weekdays alike. This recipe ensures the meat will stay moist and be packed with flavor, thanks to a brine in apple cider.
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Directions
Place pork in large, sealable plastic bag. Combine cider with salt and sugar, and stir to dissolve. Pour cider mixture into bag with pork. Seal and refrigerate for 4–12 hours.
When ready to cook, remove pork from brine and pat dry. Reserve ¼ cup brine.
Heat oven to 450˚F.
Warm oil in cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork. Turning occasionally with tongs, cook about 10 minutes, until golden brown all over.
Pour in reserved marinade. Use tongs to lift pork and scrape browned bits from bottom of pan. Add butter and garlic. Turn pork to coat as butter melts.
Transfer pan to oven and roast 5 minutes. Working quickly, flip pork and cook 5 more minutes, or until meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of meat registers 135°F.
Transfer pork to cutting board, and cover loosely with foil. Let rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add gremolata to warm pan with remaining liquid.
Toss to combine.
Cut pork into thin slices and arrange on serving platter. Top meat with gremolata, as desired. Serve additional gremolata alongside.
Apple Gremolata
Peel, core and mince one apple. Combine with ¼ cup packed minced parsley, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 tablespoons olive oil and minced zest and juice of 1 lemon.
Wine Pairing
Brotte 2019 Les Hauts de Barville White (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
While fattier cuts of pork benefit from a red wine, lean pork tenderloin works well with something white. Rich and full-bodied white Châteauneuf-du-Pape would make a lush complement to the fresh flavors here. This bottling is a Grenache Blanc-dominant blend, with flavors of apple and herbs that nicely echo the cider and gremolata.