Pork Tenderloin with Apple, Sweet Potatoes, and Carrots
My one-pot, warming pork tenderloin recipe is packed with apple, sweet potatoes, carrots, pancetta and a variety of cozy spices and herbs like cinnamon and fresh thyme. Perfect for autumn!
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven (for stove-top and oven, with a cover)
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 1 large pork tenderloin approx. 700 grams or 1½ lbs
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- generous black pepper
- 1½ tsp all spice
- 1½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1½ Tbsp honey
- 1½ Tbsp butter melted
- 1½ Tbsp olive oil
Rest of the ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp butter 14g
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 oz pancetta roughly chopped 85g, approx. ½ cup
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 2 leaves of fresh sage
- 1 small cinnamon stick approx. 2 inches or 5.5 cm
- 3 large shallots cut into two length-wise then thickly sliced width-wise
- 2 large garlic cloves chopped
- 1 large carrot peeled and sliced into 1 inch or 2 ½ cm pieces
- 1 large orange sweet potato peeled and cubed into 1 inch or 2 ½ cm pieces
- 1 large sweet red apple (honey crisp or pink lady) unpeeled and cubed into 1 inch or 2 ½ cm pieces
- ¾ cup cider 175 ml, alcoholic
Instructions
- Marinate the pork: Remove the silverskin from the pork tenderloin. Mix all the marinade ingredients together. Using 2/3 of the marinade, coat the pork evenly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (and up to 24 hours) to allow the flavors to develop deeply.
- Bring to temperature and preheat: Remove your pork from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. When ready to cook, set your oven to 350°F/180°C (conventional heat) or 325°F/165°C (fan).
- Sauté whole herbs and pancetta: Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the pancetta, rosemary, thyme, sage, and cinnamon stick. If using dried herbs, wait to add them when you add the vegetables. Cook the pancetta for about 5 minutes, until golden and the fat has rendered. Reduce the heat to medium-low if needed to prevent burning or splattering. Then remove the pancetta, herbs, and cinnamon stick leaving the oil and fat in the pan.
- Sear the pork: Increase the heat to medium-high. Sear the marinated pork on all sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Set the pork aside on a plate.
- Sauté the shallots: Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the shallots and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Add the garlic: Stir in the garlic, along with the reserved pancetta, rosemary, sage, thyme, and cinnamon stick. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the fruits and veggies: Add the carrots, sweet potatoes, and apple. Stir well to coat them in the aromatic mixture. This is when you would add the dried herbs and ground cinnamon, if using instead of fresh.
- Deglaze: Pour in the hard apple cider, scraping up any browned, caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Transfer to the oven: Cover the Dutch oven and place it in the middle of your preheated oven. Cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender but not mushy.
- Add the pork: Nestle the pork tenderloin on top of the vegetables. Brush it with the remaining marinade. Return to oven, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Finish cooking: Remove from oven. Then spoon some of the cooking juices onto the pork. Return to oven, covered, for about 5-12 more minutes. Start checking your pork regularly at this point. The cooking time will depend on the size of your pork and your specific oven. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the pork: 130°F for a pink center, 135°F for slightly more well-done pork.
- Rest the meat: Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and let the pork rest, covered, for 5-10 minutes.
- Remove the whole herbs: Pluck the rosemary and thyme leaves from their stems and stir them into the dish. Discard the cinnamon stick.
- Enjoy!: Slice the pork and serve it alongside the roasted vegetables and apples, drizzled with the pan juices for extra flavor.