Balsamic Pork Loin Recipe

While summer is all about chicken, seafood, and burgers on the grill, autumn brings about the popularity of a different meat. We're talking about pork, which has a rich flavor that perfectly suits cooler temperatures. Recipe developer Susan Olayinka of The Flexible Fridge has come up with this balsamic pork loin recipe — a recipe that "screams fall" in her opinion.

Olayinka says she dreamed up this dish "just thinking about the season of fall and how we tend to use more fall fruits and seasonings in cooking." And what would the top fall fruit be? Aside from the pumpkin (which is indeed technically a fruit), just about everybody's favorite fall fruit is the apple. "Apples are in season so it was a definite choice for this meal," Olayinka explains. Served with cinnamon-spiced sautéed apples and onions, this balsamic pork loin incorporates the best flavors of the season. Without further ado, let's get started on this delicious recipe!

The first thing you'll need to acquire to make this recipe is the pork loin, which is the star of the show. You'll also need a white or yellow onion and a couple of apples. Olayinka says she used red gala apples when she made this dish, but granny smiths are also a great option thanks to their nice, tart flavor. You'll be using olive oil for cooking, while the pan sauce is made from cinnamon, honey, and balsamic vinegar. Not only does this dish incorporate the best flavors of fall, but it only requires a few ingredients, making it an easy go-to dish for the whole season.

The first thing you will need to do is preheat the oven to 425 F. Once it's heating, you'll then need to take a paper towel and pat the pork loin dry. This, as Olayinka tells us, is "so that the salt can stick to it." The next step is to take a knife and score the fat layer of the pork, and then to sprinkle 2 teaspoons of salt over the fat and rub it into the cuts. Olayinka says she used regular sea salt for this, so it's not necessary to use a coarse kind.

Before you begin cooking, you'll still need to peel and dice the onion, then core and slice the apple. No need to peel the apples, though! Now, heat the oil in an ovenproof pan, such as a cast iron or Dutch oven. If you don't have any pans that go from stove to oven, you'll need to swap the frying pan contents to a baking dish when you add the pork. Sauté the onions in the pan for one minute, then add the apples and cook for one minute more. Finally, stir in the cinnamon, honey, and vinegar.

Move the onions and apples to the center of the pan (or baking dish), then put the pork right on top of the heap. Pop the entire dish into the 425 F oven and bake at this temperature for 30 minutes. After this initial half an hour is up, reduce the oven to 350 F, and then continue baking at this temperature for an hour. Once the pork loin is done, take it out of the oven and use a pastry brush to glaze it with pan drippings before carving.

Olayinka says she would serve this pork loin with different kinds of potatoes, including roasted, sweet, or mashed potatoes. She also notes that any leftover pork makes for a great wrap or sandwich. We hope you enjoy this fall-flavored dish!