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Pork Loin with Cherry Sauce (Serves 8)

Last week I posted the appetizer from our Christmas Eve dinner. This week, I am featuring the main course, pork loin with cherry sauce. This is a great recipe for winter dinner parties because it makes a beautiful presentation and the cherries in cider give the house a mouthwatering fragrance. The pork is seared with a savory herb crust, and then stays moist simmering in the cider.
This recipe is Henry-approved.
Ingredients
1 cup hard apple cider
1 cup dried cherries
6 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds pork tenderloin
2 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons shallots, finely chopped
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
Pork Loin with Cherry Sauce simmering in the pan.
Directions
Place cider in a 2-cup glass measure. Microwave on high for 20 seconds or until warm. Add the dried cherries to the cider. Cover and let stand 10 minutes or until the cherries start to soften. Drain the cherries in a colander over a bowl, reserving the cider.

Combine flour, herbs de Provence, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge pork in the flour mixture, coating all sides.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook about 3 minutes on each side until browned. Remove the pork from the pan and set aside.

Pour reserved cider into the pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Add cherries and shallots to the pan. Reduce heat and cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in broth and bring to a simmer.

Return pork to the pan. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Uncover and turn pork over. Cook 12 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 155 degrees (slightly pink).

Place pork on a serving platter and allow to rest for five minutes. Cut into slices. Pour the cherry sauce over the top before serving.
Pork Loin with Cherry Sauce ready to serve.
How your kids can help
  • 2-year old: Draining the cherries in a colander over a bowl.
  • 3-year old: Combining the flour mixture in a shallow dish.
  • 4-year old: Pouring the cherry sauce over the top of the pork before serving.
  • 5-year old: Dredging the pork in the flour mixture.*
A delicious Christmas Eve dinner.


* Remember to teach your kids about good kitchen hygiene, especially with raw meat. Be sure your kids wash their hands thoroughly with warm soapy water before and after handling the pork.
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Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 11, 2013 at 9:59 PM

    Looks good! I just want to mention however, since these recipes are intended for babies, it is a myth that alcohol is "cooked off" during the cooking process. With this recipes short cooking time the alcohol is most likely full force.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownJanuary 12, 2013 at 11:53 AM

      Thanks for commenting. I was a bit surprised by your assertion, so I looked further into it. Whether and how much alcohol cooks out depends on the cooking method, length of time, and even the type of pan that is used. USDA research suggests that while most of the alcohol will cook off of this dish after it simmers for about 30 minutes, about one-third of the original potency may remain. http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/11/alcohol-doesnt-really-cook-out-of-food-in-most-cases/

      If you'd like to completely avoid any trace of alcohol in this recipe, there are two options available. First, you can replace the hard cider with an unfermented apple cider. Your second option is to continue simmering the sauce while the pork is resting. Wait until all the liquid is gone and then create a pan sauce by stirring in 1/2 cup additional broth with about 1 teaspoon of flour to thicken.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousJanuary 14, 2013 at 4:07 PM

    I just wanted to bring it to your attention since you stated in the original recipe that the alcohol would cook off. A lot of people are misinformed on this topic and might have taken your statement at face value and may have unknowingly served their babies alcohol.

    ReplyDelete

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