As a kid, pork chops and applesauce were always a family dinner highlight. In my family it was known as “pork chawwwps and apple sauwwwce”. To this day I still love it, but I also love exploring different sweet combinations for pork. Recently, I discovered this delicious recipe in a cookbook from my grandma called America’s Best Lost Recipes. This recipe has that same sweet kick that applesauce gives pork, but includes more nutritious components.
To make sure that you don’t overcook your pork, be sure to have a meat thermometer handy. Also, I made sure that I cooked the potatoes and pears long enough before cooking the pork, to ensure that they were nice and soft. This dish is easy and great to feed a large group.
Glazed Pork Tenderloin w/ Caramelized Pears & Sweet Potatoes
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup water
- 3 pears (the less-ripe, the better) (peeled, cored & cubed)
- 1 lbs sweet potatoes (peeled & cubed)
- 1 (3-4 lb) pork tenderloin
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then stir in the maple syrup, brown sugar, cloves, nutmeg and water. Bring the mixture to a boil then remove it from the heat.
- Toss the sweet potatoes and pears with half of the maple syrup mixture and transfer them to the bottom of a roasting pan and bake until partially tender (about 30 minutes). Remove the potatoes and pears from the oven
- Season the tenderloin with salt, pepper and cinnamon, place the tenderloin on a metal rack over the potatoes, and pour the remaining syrup mixture over the meat.
- Return the roasting pan to the oven and cook until the tenderloin is cooked through to 135F (about 30 minutes).
- Remove the pork tenderloin from the oven, cover in foil, and let rest. Meanwhile, increase the oven to 425F and let the potatoes and pears roast until tender and caramelized (about an additional 10 to 15 minutes).
- Slice the pork and serve with spoonfuls of potatoes and pears. If desired, drizzle with pan drippings for extra flavor.
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One of the popularizing quotes of “Porkchops and applesauce” came from Peter Brady in an episode of The Brady Bunch…
I’m old enough that I remember it well.
I put the tenderloins on top of the sweet potatoes and apples (I didn’t have any pears) and baked it all at the same time at 400 and it turned out perfect. No need to do in 2 steps (in my humble opinion). Good luck!
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback =)
MMMMMMM!!!! Usually I use apples with pork chops, I am going to use pears next time! Thanks for the recipe!
I love this idea and how beautiful this dish look all together!
Amazing flavors in one dish..yummy!
Love how beautiful this dish looks! Love the flavors as well. Yum!
This looks delicious, especially the pears and sweet potatoes!
Made me smile with your post! And your pork looks PERFECTLY cooked! XO
Just stopped by to Congratulate you on top 9!!!
mmm, pork tenderloin, it looks perfectly cooked, great job!
This pork chop combination sounds awesome! I’m definitely on board with the whole discovering new version besides pork & apples! Trying this soon!
I agree with everyone – your pork looks perfect! I think I’ll try the sweet potatoes with apples…not a big fan of pears! Congrats – it’s a gorgeous photo!
Pork chaaawps and apple saaawwce… one of our favorites! Love the twist you have here with the potatoes and pears, looks like we may have a new favorite!!
Jenny, this pork tenderloin looks amazing and perfectly cooked! Thanks for sharing! You have a beautiful blog and I’m looking forward to exploring your recipes.
Thank you, that is such a nice comment! =) I will take a peek around your blog soon!
Muschiuletul si garnitura sunt grozave! Imi place cum ai combinat ingredientele, felicitari!
I love sweet with pork but have never been a fan of applesauce. I love this idea and it would be a brilliant way to sneak some sweet potatoes into our diet. Congrats on top 9!!
yum!!! Pork chops are my absolute favorite! I can’t wait to try out this recipe. It looks delicious!
Your pork looks so juicy and delicious. I always loved pork chops and applesauce as a kid, but it was always so dry! Great update!
This looks delicious, I love pork tenderloin but pork chops are my fav.
These are great photos, I know meat is difficult to make look good but you did it! Congrats on top 9 yesterday!
Love the pears and sweet potato with the pork. Awwwwwesome!
Oh wow this looks so yum! The combo sounds great
Thanks for the add on foodbuzz!
Jenny this looks fantastic! Pork tenderloin is one of my favorite dishes so this is a must! Thanks so much for sharing
Hi there! This recipe sounds delish and I was hoping that you might add it to my Easter and Spring Linking Party to share with my readers. If you are interested, you can go here http://bakedbyjoanna.blogspot.com/2011/04/easter-linking-party.html to enter. Thanks!
I just tried this recipe on the grill rather than in the oven and it was tremendous! Thanks for sharing!
Good to hear! No problem =)
That looks delicious! And I agree with Michele, perfectly cooked. Nothing is worse than overcooked pork. Just beautiful!
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