This pork dinner recipe for two features a juicy tenderloin and baked apples bathed in sweet, savory butter.
Anyone else ready to welcome fall? I’m eager to taste autumn’s bounty, revel in milder temperatures and brilliant foliage, and decorate with colorful pumpkins and mums. This month, my kitchen is celebrating all things apple, and our first recipe is perfect for two people. Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Maple Butter may be a simple weeknight supper, but it wraps you like a cozy blanket with seasonal flavors and ingredients. It’s a perfect transition from summer to fall, and it’s on your table in under an hour. Let’s get cooking.
To make Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Maple Butter, which yields two servings, you’ll need these ingredients:
1½ pound pork tenderloin
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
2 fresh sage sprigs
2 Fuji apples
¼ stick butter, softened
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
¼ teaspoon yellow curry
¼ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon maple syrup
Small pinch of salt and pepper
Olive oil, optional
Small tenderloins often come packaged with some type of seasoning at the grocer. If you opt for one of these, choose something with a more subtle flavor. You also can buy a plain tenderloin and season it with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
Fuji apples are readily available in most markets, but any apple that stands up to baking—such as Jonathan, Granny Smith, or Honeycrisp—will work in this recipe.
Directions for Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Maple Butter
Preheat the oven to 420 degrees F.
Make the compound butter by mixing in rosemary, sage, curry, ginger, maple syrup, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl until well combined.
Cut apples in half and remove the core. An apple corer is helpful here; sadly, I couldn’t find mine. Time to clean out the gadget drawer!
Spread a generous teaspoon of compound butter over the apples and wrap each half in aluminum foil. If you have leftover butter, spread on the tenderloin.
Roast pork and apples together for 25 minutes or until pork reaches 140 to 145 degrees. Let meat rest for 10 minutes.
Slice pork into medallions. Carefully unwrap apples and plate with the pork.
How to serve Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Maple Butter
The melted butter in the apple packets creates a wonderful light sauce. I drizzled that over the meat and fruit. A good adult serving is four medallions of pork with two apple halves. I also made creamy polenta to accompany this dish. You’ll have leftover tenderloin, which is good in leftovers. Use it in a stir fry.
Kitchen tips for apples
If you’ve ever wondered what apple works best in specific recipes or applications, the friendly folks at Eckert’s — a pick-your-own farm and agriculture attraction in southern Illinois — has a few suggestions.
Their favorite apples for pie is a combination of Golden Delicious and Jonathan. Making an apple cake for Rosh Hashana? Consider Honey Crisp or Red Delicious. My Apple and Cinnamon Quick Bread is a nice gift for someone hosting the holiday dinner.
I like Granny Smith and Gala for Waldorf salad, but more on that next time.
Try the pork tenderloin with apples; the maple and herb compound butter makes it special. It's a perfect bite of fall.
About the blog
Three Women in the Kitchen is an award-winning food blog offering today’s home cooks comforting, hearty recipes with a personal touch. The website also pays tribute to Deborah’s mother, Katie Reinhardt, and paternal grandmother, Dorothy Reinhardt (the “three women” in the kitchen). Whether you’re an experienced or a novice cook, you’ll find inspiration here to feed your families and warm your heart. Subscribe today so you won’t miss a single delicious detail.
