Pork tenderloin with apple sauce

Today Raquel, author of Los Tragaldabas, invites us to prepare a very easy recipe that will surely catch your eye: a pork tenderloin served with a delicious sauce that you and yours will enjoy. Give it a try, it's well worth it!

Le Creuset ramekin and T&G acacia wood cutting board

I must admit that at home we are big meat eaters; we love it prepared in any way. Chicken, pork, beef, lamb — each has a distinct flavor and offers a wide repertoire of recipes to make with them.

Today I bring you a delicious pork tenderloin recipe accompanied by an apple sauce worthy of this dish that makes it very special. Pork tenderloin is a very flavorful meat if cooked properly; many might think it's a bit dry but the secret is in the cooking. To achieve a good result, you only need to cook it over medium heat so it sears evenly on all sides. You shouldn't pierce it, cut it, or press it while cooking so it retains all its juices inside. With patience, the tenderloin will keep all its juiciness and you'll get the desired doneness.

The De Buyer mineral iron frying pan is perfect for these types of preparations; it distributes heat evenly and thanks to its beeswax coating the ingredients won't stick. This pan has taken a special place in my kitchen; you just need to keep in mind some tips for its use and perfect maintenance. Very versatile, suitable for any type of heat, handcrafted from cast iron and the healthiest way to cook our food.

I'm always looking for new sauces to vary my dishes, so when I saw Karin Leiz's Salsas cookbook I didn't hesitate twice and bought it. Sauces give that different touch to our creations, turning a good dish into a spectacular one. Sauces are the perfect accompaniment for meats, fish, cheeses, pastas and in this book there is an incredible variety of them: fruit sauces, cold, hot, emulsions, sweet, savory — without a doubt a perfect book for any home cook.

De Buyer mineral frying pan B and Karin Leiz's Sauce Cookbook

Ingredients

• 1 or 2 pork tenderloins
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Flaky salt

For the sauce:

• 3 Golden apples
• 3 Fuji apples
• 200ml apple juice
• 2 strips of lemon peel
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation

1. We start by preparing our sauce; to do this we peel and core our apples and cut them into quarters.
2. We put them in our frying pan along with the rest of the sauce ingredients and bring it to a boil.
3. Now lower the heat and simmer the mixture slowly for 20 minutes or until the apples are soft.
4. Let the sauce cool.
5. Remove the lemon peels and mash the apples with a fork until you get the desired consistency. I chose to leave it chunky so I can find pieces of apple, but if you prefer you can pass it through a food mill to obtain a smoother sauce. If it seems too thick you can add a little apple juice to thin it.
6. We store it in a jar in the refrigerator until ready to use.
7. Let's move on to the tenderloin: add a little olive oil to our pan and heat it; once hot lower the heat and add the meat. Cook on all sides, turning every two minutes so it cooks evenly. Once browned remove, sprinkle with flaky salt and serve with our sauce piping hot.

De Buyer Mineral B iron frying pan, Pallarès carbon steel knife with boxwood handle, Le Creuset ramekin, T&G acacia cutting board

You can present the pork tenderloin with apple sauce as a finished dish, or use the Le Creuset ramekins to serve your sauce on the side.

This sauce is perfect to use in many other preparations, so if you don't use it all in this recipe keep it in the refrigerator for about a week. Otherwise you can freeze it for later use. You can use this sauce with roasted duck, pork, lamb, or beef.