Pork Medallions With Sauteed Apples

The foliage is at peak this week on the lower hills, the ridge behind the house running orange and scarlet in a display that has been better than average because of the summer weather — dry August and cold September produced the right stress in the trees to push the pigments hard. I drove out to the overlook on Route 12 on Thursday again, as I do every peak week, and this time I was not alone in the truck. I had asked Owen if he wanted to come and he had, sitting in the passenger seat in his school jacket, looking at three counties of fall color with the expression of someone trying to decide how to receive something overwhelming. He finally said: it's a lot. I told him it was meant to be a lot. He said: how do you not just stop everything to look at it? I said: you stop for twenty minutes, which is what we were doing, and then you go back to work, and you carry the twenty minutes with you. He thought about that and seemed to accept it.

The apple butter season is underway, inspired by Carol's blue ribbon. I am not competing — my apple butter has never been entered in anything — but watching her develop and refine the recipe over two years made me want to apply the same kind of attention to my own version. I have been making apple butter since 1982 and I have never written down the exact formula, working always by feel and taste, which is fine until you want to replicate something specific. This week I wrote it down for the first time, measured every variable, ran the cold plate test, noted the cook times. The result is the same apple butter I have always made but now it is documented. Now it will outlast me.

Bill called to report that his maple taps and collection buckets are ready, clean and hanging in the barn for February. He has twelve taps prepared and the used evaporating pan has been cleaned and tested. He is months away from using any of it and he is ready. I told him I appreciated that quality in a person — the willingness to be ready far in advance of need. He said: I learned it from someone who has been gardening for a long time. I told him he could stop being charming any time. He said he would try.

Writing down the apple butter recipe this week — measuring every variable, noting the cook times, running the cold plate test — made me want to honor the apple in other ways while the season still has momentum. Pork and apple have always belonged together the way October belongs to these hills, and this dish is one I have made loosely for years without ever committing it to paper. Consider it documented now, alongside the apple butter, in the same spirit: the same apple, the same attention, a different form.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin, sliced into 1-inch medallions
2 medium apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Season the pork. Pat the pork medallions dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and black pepper.
Sear the pork. Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter is foaming, add the medallions in a single layer. Sear for 3—4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature 145°F). Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
Saute the apples. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the same skillet. Add the apple slices and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4—5 minutes until softened and lightly golden at the edges.
Season the apples. Sprinkle the cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar over the apples. Stir to coat and cook for 1 minute more, letting the sugar begin to caramelize.
Build the pan sauce. Pour in the chicken broth and apple cider vinegar. Stir to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add the thyme and simmer for 3—4 minutes until the sauce reduces slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
Finish and serve. Return the pork medallions and any resting juices to the skillet. Spoon the apples and sauce over the top. Warm together over low heat for 1—2 minutes. Serve immediately, spooning extra sauce over each portion.

Nutrition (per serving)

Pork Medallions With Sauteed Apples — The Season Written Down at Last