This is a very good recipe that I decided to make today when I realized that I still had a bottle of Sidra Asturiana (cider of Asturias) at home, the last of the ones I bought when we went to Oviedo 🙂 so this recipe reminded me also of that good time 🙂

Moreover apple and pork always match well together.

It’s not too complicated and it doesn’t take too long time to make it. Of course you can use any other traditional cider, but I suggest to avoid the more commercial ones because those are usually sweetened and often too much sweet, and that’s not good for cooking.

Next to it I simply prepared some potatoes cooked in extra virgin olive oil and sage leaves, as I usually do. But also mashed potatoes is perfect, or also a fresh salad.

Let’s see how to make it.

INGREDIENTS (2 people):

• 1 whole pork tenderloin (usually it’s 400-500 g)
• 250-300 ml of cider
• 1 medium size onion (or half of a big one)
• mustard, 1 spoon
• extra virgin olive oil, 2-3 tablespoons
• cooking cream, few spoons, about 50 ml
• thyme
• rosemary
• freshly ground black pepper
• salt

1. First of all remove the fat from the meat (and I also cut the two extremities, to have a single piece with a more nice shape). Then season it with salt and also some freshly ground black pepper.
2. Take a pan and heat the extra virgin olive oil. When it’s hot add the meat, and sear it on all its sides at high heat. Fast, a couple of minutes. Then remove the meat and keep it aside.
3. In the same pan add now the onion which you have sliced (and if needed some more extra virgin olive oil), a pinch of salt and cook it until soft at low heat. When the onion it’s soft add the cider (but keep 40-50 ml for later) and set the heat high, until the alcohol has gone and the cider has reduced. About 4-5 minutes should be enough.
4. Now place the meat in a baking pan, pour the onions and the cider sauce inside, spread some mustard over the meat, add some fresh thyme and also a sprig of rosemary.
5. Bake at 200 °C, fan-assisted mode, for 18 minutes (or a couple of minutes less if you want the meat even more pink, but the exact time depends on the tenderloin size: you can touch it to understand better the doneness, or use a thermometer if you prefer). While baking you can pour a couple of times some of its liquid over the meat, using a spoon.
6. After that time wrap the meat in an aluminium foil and keep it aside.
7. Now take an immersion blender and make a cream with the onions and the liquid (but remove the rosemary).
8. Then pour the onion-cider cream in the pan (you can filter if you prefer to have it perfectly smooth), add 40-50 ml of cider and few spoons of cooking cream (about 50 ml should be enough), and cook at medium/high heat until the sauce gets thicker, few minutes.
9. Place some sauce in your dish, lay the pork tenderloin over it, and serve it next to some potatoes or a salad 🙂 Enjoy!

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Products used in this recipe:

Cider: Sidra Natural Asturiana, Trabanco