Challenge- Apple Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider Green Beans

So if you ask me, this doubles as 2 challenges! I used mystery box ingredients to make a complete meal and also did an iron chef battle by using my apples throughout the meal! HOT DIGGITY! These two items really complimented each other but were different enough to make the taste buds happy!

First- I used the following ingredients from my Dominion Harvest mystery box-

• Apples
• Onions
• Green Beans

Other Ingredients-

• Pork Loin (normal package comes with 2 small or one big, this is fine but if you get one big one you will need to slice it length wise for this recipe)
• Stone Ground Mustard
• Bourbon
• Apple Juice
• Cinnamon
• Rosemary
• Salt and Pepper
• Olive Oil

First, dice one apple and cut another so that you leave the apple in a square. Then, slice the pieces of the apple so that they have 2 flat edges. (This will make sense in a minute!)

Next, lay 3 or 4 pieces of butchers twine across the short side of a lightly greased, shallow baking pan that is long enough for the tenderloin to fit without being bunched together.

Next, lay your tenderloin pieces out side by side. Again, remember that you need 2 pieces for this! Salt and pepper both pieces all over with a total of 1 teaspoon dried rosemary as well. Then, smear 1 teaspoon of the stone ground mustard along the entire length of one side of the tenderloin. This is going to be the "middle" once we put the 2 pieces together. Then, put one piece across the laid out butchers twine with the mustard side up. Cover the mustard with the diced apple. Then take the other piece of tenderloin and put it mustard side down on top of the first. (Note: most tenderloins have a thin end and a big end, try to match these up big end to thin end so that it cooks through evenly.) Then tie with the twine to keep them tightly together. You don't want those yummy apples escaping!!!

Now, pick up the tenderloin and lay the flatted pieces of apple under it. (See... I told you it would all make sense later!) Now, cook according to package instructions for the pork loin, for mine- it was at 375 for one hour.

Now, in a saucepan combine 1/2 cup apple juice, 1 tablespoon of the stone ground mustard, 1 tablespoon bourbon, and 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary and simmer until it becomes a nice glaze. (Honestly, mine was more of a liquid that I spooned over the meat in the last 15 minutes, but I think a glaze would work better next time.)

As I said, spoon over in the last 15 minutes of cooking several times. Also, once the meat is done cooking allow it to sit on the counter and rest to let the juices redistribute. Top with the glaze one more time for the resting period.

Now get another pan going with salted water till it boils. Then place trimmed green beans in the boiling water and allow them to blanch for three minutes. Drain and immediately submerge the green beans into ice water to stop the cooking process. Then drain again. Return the pot to the heat and coat with about a teaspoon of olive oil. Then add 1/2 cup of diced onion then top with salt and pepper and allow it to sweat for about 4 minutes or until translucent. Then add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 cup apple juice. Allow to simmer until it has thickened (should only take a minute or two) and then add the green beans until thoroughly coated. Serve immediately. The process of cooking the green beans takes almost exactly the time you need to allow the juices to redistribute in the meat! And that is no accident!!! :)

This meal was incredibly delicious! I loved that when sliced the pork looked like a sliced apple! (The apple looks like the core!)