Recipe: Roast Tenderloin of Cured Pork with Baked Apples

I can't believe that this turned out as well as it did. Much better than expected. Up to this point I had yet to cure, brine, pickle or even preserve - nothing of the sort.

The pork came out juicy, the apples were sweet, tart and soft - a small square of butter helped, though they could have been softer had I timed them better, and the onions and carrots were braised, then browned with cinnamon and maple syrup, just as they should be.

I had to cut the recipe in half since I was only cooking a tenderloin for myself, not an entire loin on the bone as called for by the recipe in Chez Panisse Cooking (Bertolli with Waters, 1994).

It is a really basic brine, and I would not expect anything less (more?) in Alice Waters' repertoire. It does take 24 hours to prepare however, so best to use this recipe when you have a day to wait, and a couple spare things around to make the brine - parts of carrots, celery, onions, and the last bit of your purchased herbs or a couple from your garden.

Juniper berries can be found at most health stores and fancy grocery stores, or if you're lucky enough, on a nearby Juniper tree (think gin). If you've had your fair share of gin hangovers, you can leave these guys out.

Do make sure to grab some good pork though. If you're in the Montreal-area with a deep-freezer or a serious addiction to pork, rumor has it these guys are the best: Porcherie Ardennes (Martin Picard, of Au Pied du Cochon, apparently sources from here). If not, do the next best thing -- grain-fed from your local butcher or grocer. While you're at it, make sure to grab some string from your butcher. It's always nice to tuck back the 'tail' of the loin, and wrap the entire cut around a sprig or two of rosemary.

Roast Tenderloin of Cured Pork with Baked Apples (serves 2)

For the brine:

• 1/4 cup + pinch, additive-free kosher salt
• 3/8 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 gallon (just under 2 litres) ice water
• 10 whole juniper berries
• 10 whole allspice berries
• 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1/2 leafy stalk of celery, thinly sliced
• 1/2 a medium carrot, thinly sliced
• 1/8 yellow onion, thinly sliced
  
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 sprigs parsley
• 1 bay leaf

For the pork:

• 1 pork tenderloin
• freshly ground pepper
• 2 sprigs rosemary

For the apples:

• 2-3 granny smith apples (or other tart apples that can stand up to cooking. Maybe Bramley? Ha.)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• a couple twists of freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1 pad butter

For the vegetables:

• 8-10 assorted pearl onions (also known as cocktail onions)
• 6-8 medium carrots (not those massive ones in the plastic bag)
• MAPLE SYRUP!
• CINNAMON!
  

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Brine the pork a day ahead to tenderize and flavor the meat. As described by Paul Bertolli, "brining is like marinating, although the effect is more radical: the pork is entirely submerged for 2 to 5 days [or in our case and a small cut, 1 day] and the flavors of the brine reach to the very center of the meat, imparting characteristics of a mildly cured ham."

Had tenderloin in the restaurant, but couldn't figure out how to get it so flavorful once at home? This is the missing element.

For the brine:

• In a large bowl, dissolve the salt and the sugar in the ice water.
• Crack the pepper, juniper berries and allspice in a mortar.
• Add the vegetables, herbs and spices to the water.
• Wash out and scald a stainless-steel pot or ceramic bowl with a lid.
• Place the tenderloin in the pot and poor the brine over top of it, completely submerging the meat.
• Store in the refrigerator at 40°F for 18-24 hours.

[...sleep. work. come home...]

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Line a plate with paper towels. Remove the meat from the brine and place onto the paper towels. Dry and remove any excess brine on the surface.
• Fold the tenderloin in half, length-wise, placing a couple of rosemary sprigs in the crease. Wrap string around the thicker end of the tenderloin, tying a knot to anchor it there. Then wrap around the meat again, securing the half-length fold, while moving the string toward the 'tail' of the tenderloin.
• Tuck in the 'tail' of the tenderloin, over top of the rosemary sprigs and into the length-wise fold, then securing it in place by wrapping the remaining string around it and finishing with another knot. This helps ensure that the meat cooks evenly, as it will have a consistent width throughout.

For the apples:

• Slice the top quarter of the apples off, core the rest. Stuff the apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper (yes! black pepper), and a lil'bit'a'butta.
• Get a small pyrex dish or loaf pan. Fill it with just enough water to line the bottom. Place the apples in the dish and their tops back on them. If they won't sit flat, slice a bit of the bottom off so they have a flat surface to rest on. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until their insides are soft and mushy and the skins are brown and wrinkled.
  

For the pork and vegetables:

• Preheat a cast-iron skillet and oil it with a high smoke-point oil and a touch of butter.
• In your cast-iron, sear the outside of the tenderloin until both sides are browned.
• Coat the meat in fresh pepper.
• Remove the cast-iron from your stove and place it in the oven. Roast the pork for just over 20 minutes (140°F internal temperature), depending on the size.
  
• Once finished, remove the meat from the pan and wrap tightly in aluminum foil to let it rest.
• Place the pan back on the stove on medium-high. Add water to the pan and de-glaze it with a wooden spoon.
• Next, add the peeled carrots and pearl onions to the pan. Cover to let braise. Remove pan from the element when done (5-7 minutes?), drizzle with maple syrup and cinnamon. Let cool slightly, then remove remaining skins from the onions.
• Unwrap and untie the meat, removing the rosemary and setting aside for garnish. Cut as shown above.
• Prepare a salad beforehand, then serve the pork with baked apple, carrots and onions, fresh out of the oven and off the stove.