Ingredients

  • 1 (5 pound) pork loin roast, with rib bones attached, back bone removed
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 handful fresh sage leaves, chopped
  • 1 handful fresh thyme leaves, chopped
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 (12-ounce) bottle hard cider
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 8 gala apples
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 large corn muffin, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 6 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup hard cider

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Place the pork roast in a roasting pan with the ribs facing up.
  • In a small bowl, mix the olive oil with the sage and thyme to flavor the oil.
  • Brush the whole pork roast with the "herb bath" and season with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
  • Roast the pork loin for 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is crackled.
  • (Put the apples in the oven along with the pork roast in the last half hour of cooking.)
  • Remove the pork roast to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.
  • Pour out some of the excess fat from the roasting pan and put it on the stove over medium-high heat.
  • Sprinkle the flour into the hot pan juices, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk to prevent lumps.
  • Cook and stir the roux until its light brown.
  • Add the cider and continue to stir to incorporate.
  • Pour in the chicken broth; boil and stir for 5 minutes until the sauce is thick; taste and check for salt and pepper.
  • Serve the cider gravy with the pork roast and baked apples.
  • To make the baked apples: Core the apples with an apple corer, making a good size cavity to hold the stuffing.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, muffin crumbs, raisins, sage, garlic, 3 tablespoons of the brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
  • Spoon the sweet and savory stuffing into the cavities of the cored apples; stand them up, side by side, in a baking dish and sprinkle the tops with the remaining 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.
  • Pour the cider around the apples and bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 375 degrees F, until soft when pierced with a knife.
  • Place the warm apples in the center of a round serving dish.
  • Spoon the cider sauce around the apples and serve with the pork loin.