Pork Loin with Apples and Mustard-y Cream Sauce

Carol found this recipe in the wonderful "The Best of Gourmet - 20th Anniversary Edition" - so many great party ideas packed in one book, we actually bought it after we kept it out of the library for too long.

This is a wonderful autumn and winter recipe - not for the coldest of days, but perfect for those warming snaps when the cold breaks and the snow melts. The sauce is wonderful as a "gravy" over rice pilaf with peas (our traditional side dish).

Ingredients

• 1 (4-lb) boneless pork loin
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 Granny Smith apples (3/4 lb total)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup packed, dried pitted prunes, quartered
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup dry white wine

Steps

1. Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Halve pork loin crosswise, then pat dry and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper(total).
3. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown pork, 1 piece at a time, turning occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes per piece.
4. Transfer to a roasting pan as they brown (do not clean skillet) and roast pork until thermometer inserted diagonally at least 2 inches into meat registers 150°F, 40 to 50 minutes.
5. While pork roasts, peel, quarter, and core apples, then cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges.
6. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet, then cook onion in skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
7. Add apples, prunes, broth, and water and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
8. Stir in cream and mustard and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and keep sauce warm, partially covered.
9. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes.
10. Add wine to roasting pan and boil over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 2 to 3 minutes.
11. Stir pan juices into cream sauce along with remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper and heat sauce over moderate heat, stirring, until hot.
12. Cut each half of the tenderloin crosswise into 4 slices.
13. Serve pork with sauce - we like to have pilaf and peas on the side, great all mixed together.

Makes 8 servings