Pork Loin Roast with Apples, Onions, & Potatoes

A delicious fall inspired dinner Oven Roasted Pork Loin with Apples, Onions, and Potatoes. Easy enough for a simple family dinner but fancy enough for a dinner with guests this Roast Pork Loin comes out juicy and flavorful complete with its own side dish!

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Roast Pork Loin with Apples

I will be the first one to admit at first glance a pork loin can seem intimidating. Pork Loin’s are a large cut of meat that if you don’t know what or how to cook it quite right can come out dry or rubbery.

But this recipe keeps it SIMPLE, because that is all a pork lion really needs, a simple recipe to cook it properly. This pork loin will come out super juicy and tender. It will turn non-pork believers into pork believers, trust me on this one because it definitely made me fall in love with this cut of meat.

Pork Loin Versus Pork Tenderloin

Before we get any further I want to acknowledge that although they might sound like they are the same these are two very different cuts of meat and they cannot be substituted for each other in this recipe.

At a glance…

A pork loin is a wide and flatter cut of pork, and it can be boneless or bone-in (although I mostly see it as boneless). You may sometimes see it labeled as a center loin roast or a pork center rib roast. It is a leaner cut of meat with a large cap of fat on the top. Pork chops are actually pork loin ‘steaks’ if you will, and are simply a pork loin cut into pieces.

A pork tenderloin is a long, skinny, boneless cut of meat that comes from the muscle that runs along the backbone. It may occasionally be referred to as a pork filet or pork tender. The tenderloin tends to be a smaller cut of meat usually weighing around 1 pound and it is lean and tender.

So for this recipe we are talking about a PORK LOIN, good?

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Supplies

Like stated before this is actually a pretty simple recipe. Using regular kitchen items like measuring spoons and knifes.

You will also want a nice baking dish for this one. I recommend a 9×13 or larger size.

Ingredients

• pork loin
• granny smith apples – or any other baking apples, nothing soft though, a crisp apple works best for this recipe since the apples will be in the oven for so long
• baby potatoes – I use the cute little yellow ones but you can really use any variety/color of baby potato you would like here
• onion – a sweet yellow or white onion
• butter – since we are adding salt unsalted works best here
• minced garlic
• fresh rosemary – you will chop it up, you could also use other herbs if you are feeling bold, thyme or sage might also be really good here
• kosher salt – I highly recommend using kosher salt for this recipe, it does the best job of sticking to food and salting the pork

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Instructions

Begin by preheating the oven to 400ºF. We will start with a high heat for a few minutes and then turn the oven down for the remainder of cooking.

In a small bowl mix together the melted butter, garlic, rosemary, and salt. Set aside. 

Lightly grease a baking dish (9×13) and add the prepared potaotes, apples, and onion.

Pat the pork dry with paper towels.

Create a little nest in the center of the dish for the pork and add the pork fat side up to the top of the potatoes, apples, and onions. If you have a really large cut you might have to place it at an angle. Drizzle the butter mixture overtop the pork as well as a little over the apples, potatoes, and onions.

Transfer to the oven and bake at 400ºF for 15 minutes. 

Reduce heat to 350ºF. Bake an additional 55-65 minutes until the thickest part of the pork reaches 145ºF. Cover and rest 3 minutes. Slice pork to serve, inside should be light pink in the center.

It is important for this recipe that you really target the temperate of 145ºF. Getting the center to that temp will result in a really juicy and succulent piece of meat. If the pork loin gets overcooked they tend to dry out very quickly.

So for a pork loin closer to 4 pounds check around the 50-55 minute mark. For a pork loin closer to 5 pounds check closer to the 65 minute mark. For best results use a good instant read meat thermometer. I highly recommend a ThermoWorks Thermapen to anyone and everyone!

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