3-4 lb Boneless Pork Loin
House seasoning
2-3 Medium Garlic cloves sliced
Herb Paste
1/4 cup Olive Oil- divided
Salt and Pepper
1 Medium Onion - sliced
3 Medium Apples (use Fuji, Honeycrisp, Jonagold or Golden Delicious) cored, peeled, halved and sliced thin.
1 cup White Wine
3-4 Tbls flour
2 Tbls butter (only if necessary)
1/4 cup good quality Apple Butter (we order ours from the Apple Barn in Tennessee, the best!)
3 cups good quality Chicken Broth
Start this the night before for brining purposes. Prepare your choice of brine. Soak roast in brine from 2-24 hours in the refrigerator
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Remove the pork from the brine and discard the brine. Dry roast with paper towel.
Insert 8-10 slits throughout the roast and insert the sliced garlic in the slits.
rub half the olive oil over the roast, season with house seasoing and salt and pepper all over the roast.
Heat an "oven proof" skillet ( I use a cast iron skillet for this) with the other half of olive oil. Brown roast on all sides until golden.
Remove from pan, add the onions and apples. Spread evenly and place the roast on top. Spread the Herb Paste over the roast.
Place pan in oven and roast for 45-50 minutes or until the internal temperature reached the USDA recommended 145 degrees. Remove from pan and let the roast rest while you are preparing your gravy.
Put the skill on a medium burner and toss the pieces in the bottom of the pan. (if you need to add more fat, this is when the butter can be used) Add the flour and cook for 1 minute until a slight paste forms (your making a "roux"). Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes until slightly reduced. Add the apple butter and mix through. Add chicken broth slowly and stir until the gravy is the desired thickness.
Slice Pork Roast and serve with gravy.
Serves 4-6
Side suggestions: Green salad, glazed carrots and Rosemary roasted baby yukon gold potatoes.
