Roasted Pork with Apples and Potatoes

Why is it that we make a distinction between company food and everyday food?  Shouldn't our everyday meals be good enough to serve special guests?  Perhaps we're overestimating the expectations of our guests.  Is it possible that they're appreciative for even the simplest of meals? 

I hardly ever serve uncomplicated and simple meals to my guests.  It's not that I'm trying to prove myself as a qualified cook, food is just my way of showing my guests that they're worth the time and effort that it took for me to prepare a complex meal.  I recognize that not everyone shares my theory that a sophisticated meal is an act of genuine love, humility and appreciation but I still can't seem to stop myself from pulling out all the stops when guests come for dinner. 

As much as I would like for the meal that I serve to guests to not be a reflection of my affection, I feel like they're linked too closely in my mind to separate.  Food = Love.  That's just how I roll and it's not likely that that will ever change.   Most of my guests will never get served meatloaf and it's not because I have snooty, uptight dinner guests.  It's simply because I love them and I'm able to express my affection through pork roast better than I can through meatloaf. 

I would categorize most of the recipes that I share on my blog as everyday foods but today I'm sharing a company food recipe.  My roasted pork with apples and potatoes takes just the right amount of effort and care to really set it apart as company food.  

Roasted Pork with Apples and Potatoes
1 pound pork tenderloin
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pound yukon gold potatoes, cut into 2 inch wedges
1 large braeburn apple, sliced
6 ounces haricots verts
3 Tablespoons chicken stock
3 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 500.  Preheat a baking sheet in oven. Rub pork with 1 T. oil, 2 t. thyme, 2 t. rosemary, 1/2 t. salt and 1/2 t. pepper.  

Place pork on heated pan.  Reduce oven to 450 and roast 5 minutes. 

Combine remaining oil, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, potatoes and apple. 

Add potato mixture to pan and bake 15 minutes or until pork reaches 140.

Transfer pork to a cutting board to rest. 

Add green beans to pan and bake 10 minutes. 

Transfer potato mixture to a bowl. 

Add stock, butter and vinegar to hot pan and scrape browned bits from bottom.

Slice pork and arrange over vegetables.   Drizzle pan sauce over pork.  

What better side dish for a roasted pork, apple and potato dinner than homemade applesauce?  

This recipe just screams Fall comfort food but who says you can't eat roasted pork and apples in the Spring?  This recipe was a big hit and I will be making it again when the weather turns cooler after our annual trip to the apple orchard.  

Ciao!

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