Think apples are “As American as Apple Pie”? Think again. Apples as we know them today were not native to North America. When early colonists arrived from Europe, they disdained the tiny crab apples they found here and brought cuttings and seeds from their homelands in order to savor treasured orchard apples in the New World.
October being a month for relishing comforting autumn treats, we should be grateful to those colonists even though it turns out that they cultivated apples primarily to make cider because it was safer to drink than water and easier to produce than beer.
This month I’ve been reading Ruth Reichl’s second memoir, “Comfort me with Apples” which follows her journey as she launches into the restaurant critic business. And, because it was sitting next door on the library shelf, I also grabbed “My Kitchen Year, Recipes that Saved my Life”, where she wrote about how cooking sustained her in the aftermath of Gourmet Magazine’s abrupt shuttering.
In the books, she writes about cooking as therapy and offers meditations. “Black birds sweeping onto orange leafed trees; beautiful ballet of the air; Ashmead’s Kernels whisper from their skins; Apple Crisp!” and, “Peel a few different kinds of apples, enjoying the way they shrug reluctantly out of their skins.”
Ashmead, I discovered, is an heirloom Golden Russet variety with a thick skin more brown than gold, with crisp flesh, snappy flavor and a lingering orange-like scent.
Among autumn’s great joys is the overabundance of apple varieties, each with its own story and characteristics. Since they are named for where they originated, what they look like or who introduced the strain, they can spin thousands of stories. Reichl describes, “Esopus Spitzenberg. Such a wonderful name. It’s is a handsome, old fashioned apple, with great integrity and fine flavor. Knobbed Russets on the other hand are extremely ugly but they taste good. Then there are the Golden Russets. I bought all three, thinking I would have a crisp of serious flavor.”
In shopping for my first hearty autumn dinner and facing market baskets laden with delicious apples, I similarly struggled with how to choose. Luckily, I wasn’t forced to, having decided to use apple cider in my main dish. Cider, after all, is made from a mix of apple varieties.
Reichl wrote about braising pork shoulder in cider but brining tenderloins in it was just as delicious. Pork in general benefits from brining and the cider brine worked magic, imparting sweetness, juiciness and tons of flavor, which was heightened by drizzling the meat with a pan sauce for serving. Roasted Yukon Gold potatoes, Red Onions and Granny Smith apples rounded out the meal.
The best part? Other than the time for brining, this was a fast and nearly effortless meal to prepare, the oven got its maiden fall workout and the cook got to kick back and relax. Apple pie will have to wait for next time.
This is my contribution to the Novel Food #34. Hosted by the lovely Simona of briciole, Novel Food is a voyage of literary discovery featuring literary-inspired dishes contributed by event's participants.
Cider-Brined Pork Loin with Roasted Potatoes and Apples
Ingredients for the Brine:
2 cups apple cider
½ cup granulated sugar
3 tbs salt
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp fennel seed
½ tsp ground coriander
1 inch fresh ginger, thinly sliced
Ingredients for the Pork and Pan-Sauce:
2 - 1 to 1½ lb pork tenderloins (this should be sold in one package)
1½ lb small Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
1-2 large red onions (about 1 lb) cut into 1 inch wedges
2-3 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled and cut into 2-3 inch wedges
3 tbs olive oil
2 tbs unsalted butter
1-2 tbs roughly chopped fresh rosemary
2 cups apple cider for sauce
Preparation:
For Marinade: In a small bowl, stir together the cider, sugar and salt till sugar dissolves. Add remaining seasonings till combined. Place the tenderloins into a 1 gallon ziplock bag, pour in the marinade, squeeze out the air, seal and refrigerate for 6-8 hours or overnight.
For the roast: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove the tenderloins from the bag, discard the marinade, pat dry the loins, and using kitchen twine, tie the loin in three places at even intervals. Place prepared tenderloins on an ungreased rimmed baking pan. Dab with olive oil, season with 1 tsp pepper and a sprinkling of the rosemary, reserving about half for the vegetables.
For the vegetables: Using another baking pan, place the prepared vegetables in a single layer, drizzle with olive oil and season with 1 tsp salt, pepper and remaining rosemary.
Roasting: Place both baking pans in the oven on a middle rack, side by side. Roast for 30 minutes then check the vegetables for doneness and remove when browned and crisp. Continue to roast the pork till browned and a meat thermometer inserted into the center reads 140 degrees. Total cooking time on the meat will be 30-40 minutes. Remove the tenderloins from oven and the tray. Let rest on a platter.
For the pan sauce: Using a spatula, remove the juice and any meat particles to a saucepan and cook over medium stove heat with the butter and 1 tbs of olive oil. Cook, stirring often and scraping up any brown bits till simmering. Add 2 cups of cider and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and continue stirring till thickened, about 3-5 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.
To serve: Remove the twine from the meat. Slice the tenderloins diagonally into ½ inch pieces. Sprinkle with salt. Serve on a platter with the apples, potatoes and onion and top with the sauce.
