Apple-Glazed Pork Loin

Easter Sunday. The resurrection. The holiest day of the Christian calendar, the day when the church is fullest and the hymns are loudest and the hats are tallest and the sermon goes longest and nobody minds because Easter is the day you give everything — time, voice, attention, gratitude — because everything was given for you.

I smoked a leg of lamb for Easter dinner, which is not my tradition but which I've adopted from the wider world because Easter and lamb have a biblical connection that even a Memphis pitmaster can appreciate. The lamb: bone-in leg, rubbed with rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil, smoked over a mix of hickory and apple wood at 275 for five hours. Lamb on a smoker is different from pork — it's leaner, more assertive, and the rosemary gives it a Mediterranean quality that feels right for a holiday about rebirth and hope.

Mama came to Easter dinner — transported by Walter Jr., seated at the head of the table in her wheelchair, wearing a yellow dress and a hat that would block the view at any theater in America. She was clear — Easter does that, pulls her into the present the way music pulls musicians into the moment — and she said grace, slowly, with the authority of a woman who has been praying for eighty-one years and has the direct line to prove it. "Lord, thank You for this family. Thank You for this food. Thank You for bringing us through another winter into another spring. We are still here. Amen." We are still here. The most powerful prayer there is.

That apple wood in the smoker — the way it softened the hickory and gave the lamb something almost sweet and bright — that’s what I keep coming back to. When Mama said “we are still here” and we all sat quiet for a moment with that truth hanging in the air, I wanted to find a way to carry that same combination of comfort and celebration into a meal anyone could make at home, smoker or not. This apple-glazed pork loin is that bridge: the apple wood flavor translated into a glaze, the slow patience of the pit translated into the oven, the same spirit of giving something your full attention because the table you’re feeding deserves it.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 30 min | Total Time: 1 hr 45 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 boneless pork loin roast (3 to 4 lbs)
1 cup apple jelly
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium apples, cored and sliced into wedges (Honeycrisp or Fuji recommended)

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Pat the pork loin dry with paper towels. Combine garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and rub the mixture evenly over the entire surface of the roast.
Make the glaze. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine apple jelly, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the jelly is melted and the glaze is smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
Sear the roast. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the pork loin on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side, until a golden-brown crust forms.
Add apples and glaze. Arrange apple wedges around the pork loin in the pan. Brush the roast generously with the apple glaze, reserving about half for basting.
Roast and baste. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Roast uncovered for 60 to 80 minutes, basting with the remaining glaze every 20 to 25 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 145°F.
Rest before slicing. Remove the roast from the oven, tent loosely with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes. The internal temperature will continue to rise slightly. Slice against the grain and serve with the roasted apple wedges and any pan juices spooned over the top.

Nutrition (per serving)

Apple-Glazed Pork Loin — What a Memphis Pitmaster Brings to the Easter Table