Roasted Pork Tenderloin With Applesauce

On Saturday I saw Anne Burrell, a chef on the Food Network, make this meal; she used a six-rib pork roast, which is much more elaborate than a pork tenderloin (what I used). I am not a fan of the flavor of pork, so I marinated the tenderloin (or tender-lone as my granny used to say) in apple cider, fennel seeds, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper all day in the fridge. This helped to tame the pork-y flavor and made the meat super tender. My father-in-law spends most Tuesday nights with us, and this combination of flavors is right up his alley, so I thought it would be a good choice to serve him. Also, last Tuesday we had what my friend Julie calls "Grab and Growl" (leftovers), and he was trooper. Tonight we had the pork tenderloin, Potato Gratin, and Slow-Cooker Green Beans. This may seem too fancy for a weeknight, but we ate one hour after I started cooking. (I made the green beans on Sunday and refrigerated them so I could serve them throughout the week.)

Roasted Pork Tenderloin With Applesauce
1 (1.5-lb.) pork tenderloin (there are actually two in the package; I used both)
1 gallon apple cider, divided
Fennel seeds
Dried thyme
Dried sage
Salt and pepper
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
2 fresh sage sprigs
2 garlic cloves
Olive oil
Salt
1 red onion, sliced
Applesauce

1. Place pork, apple cider to cover, and next 5 ingredients in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; seal and chill 8 hours.
2. Remove pork from marinade, discarding marinade.(Optional: At this point, I used kitchen twine to tie the 2 pieces of pork together for more even cooking.) Sprinkle pork with pepper.
3. Coarsely chop rosemary and next 2 ingredients in a food processor. Add in salt and enough olive oil to make a paste. Spread paste over pork.
4. Place onion slices in bottom of a roasting pan; drizzle with olive oil. Place pork on top of onions. Pour in about 1 1/2 qt. apple cider.
5. Bake at 425° for 45 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 150°. Let pork stand 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with Applesauce.

Applesauce
3 Tbsp. butter
4 Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped (I didn't peel them.)
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1. Cook apples in melted butter, stirring occasionally. Once apples become tender, stir in apple cider. Cook until apples are very tender and look like chunky apple sauce. Stir in cream and walnuts; cook until thoroughly heated.

Potatoes Gratin
5 potatoes, thinly sliced
2 cups whipping cream
1 container garlic-herb cheese
2 shallots, minced
Salt and pepper

1. Layer potatoes in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle shallots on top; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Combine cream and cheese in a large microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute, stirring until mixture is blended. Microwave at HIGH 45 more seconds. Pour mixture over potatoes.
3. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.