Roast Pork Loin with Apples
So here on Cooking is My Sport, I throw a lot of meat recipes at you guys. However, I’m willing to share a little secret with you:
There was a period in my life where I was a vegetarian. I even went a step further and became a Vegan. (90% of the time, anyway. I would eat meat once a week for dinner.)
It didn’t last. In fact, it was a pretty miserable time.
You know why?
Because I friggin love my friggin meat.
Love, love, LOVE it.
Chicken. Beef. Turkey. Pork. I don’t discriminate.
Except when it comes to fish. I’m very discriminatory with fish, but you get the idea.
Eggs and beans and starches like potatoes and beans are great, but no matter how many vegetarian main dishes I’ve cooked (and I’ve made quite a few), none of them have ever been able to give me the satisfaction that comes with plate of thick, juicy meat.
Beyonce felt the need to make this ‘great big’ announcement this past week on Good Morning America that she had gone Vegan and that it made her feel better, lose weight and improved the quality of her sleep.
And that she was releasing a Vegan food line with her trainer that everyone should buy. Whoop dee doo for her. You do you, Boo. (eye roll)
Don’t get me wrong, guys. I understand that some people have given meat up for ethical or religious reasons. Others really do do it for their health. I get that.
I don’t judge. I won’t criticize. I won’t even mock. Different strokes for different folks.
Just don’t ask me to hop back on that bandwagon. Cause I won’t. I will be over here with my meat and a great big smile on my face.
My family comes from the South. We are huge carnivores. I think loving meat is in our DNA. It has to be, because, well, Bacon.
We’re meat and potatoes people, with a HUGE emphasis on the meat part of that equation. I honestly think they’d laugh at me if I even suggested us all going vegetarian or vegan. Then they’d tell me to stop fooling around and ask what I was ACTUALLY making for dinner.
Whenever I’m not using chicken, that answer is usually some kind of a roast.
If there was ever any reason to be a meat-lover, I think that a delicious roast would have to be right there at the top. It smells good. It tastes good. And it feels pretty good in your stomach after you’ve eaten it. That’s why they call it Comfort Food.
There’s really just nothing like a good roast when it’s done right. And I’ve reached a point in my cooking skills where I can do the “Roast Thing” rather well.
That was me bragging, in case you couldn’t tell. I make very good roast….anything.
Does that mean that sometimes I cut the corners and throw a cut of meat in my crockpot, set it and forget it? Sure. It comes out just as good.
But most times I will actually do the extra work of searing the meat first then roasting it in my oven, then thickening the juices over the stove into a rich, hearty gravy.
Like a boss.
This pork loin recipe is pretty easy to follow and straight forward. And delicious, did I mention delicious? Meat lovers will gobble it up. Non-meat lovers will probably want to anyway. No matter what side you’re on, there’s no way you can look at this roast and feel absolutely NOTHING. I refuse to believe that’s possible.
I’ll be taking my pork roast, as well as my meat loving derriere to the Fiesta Friday #72 party hosted this week by Quinn @Dad Whats 4 Dinner and Naina @Spice in the City. See you guys there!
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Roast Pork Loin with Apples
Recipe Adapted from Food Network Kitchens
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 (2-pound) boneless center cut pork loin, trimmed and tied
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium onion, thickly sliced
- 2 carrots, thickly sliced
- 2 stalks celery, thickly, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
- 2 apples, such as Cortland or Rome peeled, cored and cut into 8 slices
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
This sounds decadent! I can’t even imagine being vegetarian or vegan. I bet you came up with some great veggie recipes during that time though 🙂
It may have just been my experience but it really was not for me Heather. At all. I’ll be a carnivore until die lol But I do know how to make a really mean black bean burger now 😉 Thank you!
I rarely make pork because I don’t really know how to use it. But this roast pork loin looks absolutely mouth watering. Can’t wait to give it a try, Jess!
Awesome Andrea, I think this recipe is PERFECT for people that may not cook with pork often, it’s fail-proof 😉
That roast looks so good!! I love meat, too, but have been trying to cut down a little. I mean very little, and not succeeding too well 🙂 Mostly ‘coz the hubs and son get so sad when there’s no meat on the menu. Yeah, let’s blame it on them!! Anyway, I’m glad you brought this to Fiesta Friday since I have a pork tenderloin I didn’t know what to do with. It was on sale so it came home with me! 😀
Hahaha, thank you Angie, I hope you get to try the recipe out!
Aaah Jess!! I was just cracking up reading this! I totally agree with you! No problem with anyone being vegetarian or vegan! I was vegetarian for awhile too.
Eventually I had to eat meat for health reasons… but now I think back on that time and I don’t know how I did it! I just can’t!! I thoroughly enjoy having vegetarian meals occasionally, but I am a VERY HAPPY GIRL with a nice juicy piece of protein infront of me! 😀
As they say… being a vegan can be a big “Missed Steak” Get it?? 😀
Hahahaha…I see what you did there 😉
Me neither Dini- like, what were we even thinking? Life without meat?! *shudder* lol Thank you <3
Hahaha, I love my friggin meat too, so I understand the difficulty in sticking to vegetarianism, though I must say it is a lot easier in India with the beautiful veggie recipes we have 🙂 That roast does look like it was made by a ‘boss’ 😀 Gorgeous!! Thank you for sharing at FF!
Thank you so much Naina 🙂
I’m eating less meat lately, but I know that I would not be able to become vegetarian. I know, despite I don’t eat a lot of meat, I won’t ever be vegetarian or vegan… this is the reason way I find your pork loin “very attractive”!
Hahaha, yeah I’m never going back to the vegetarian life either Margherita- thank you!
great blog, I love meat too! 🙂 I should eat more veg though…… hahaha
Thank you very much 🙂
I love meat, too, Jess, as well as vegetables. Your roast looks delicious! I love the fresh herbs in it and the sauce. I bet it smells so good while it’s cooking.
I’m actually a huge vegetable fan too Shari- I just couldn’t do them all by themselves. But then, I couldn’t ‘just’ do meat either. I need them both together. Perfect combination lol Thank you <3