Grilled Pork Loin with Apples & Sage

Step 1

place the first 6 ingredients in a sealable bag, refrigerate and let marinate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours. The longer the better. Bring to room temperature before grilling.

Step 2

In a medium pan, saute shallot over medium heat in butter until tender. Add cider, chicken stock and serrano chili, bring to a simmer, then turn heat to med-low and let simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, or until reduced by half. Add heavy whipping cream. (Don’t use half and half). Stir occasionally, continue to simmer until sauce thickens and turns into a lovely pale golden color, about 15 more minutes. Add salt and cracked pepper to taste (you may not need the salt).

Step 3

At the same time, saute apples in butter and olive oil, in skillet over medium heat until golden and tender. Add sage, salt and maple, and a 2 tablespoons of hard apple cider. Once the cider has cooked down, turn off the heat and set the apples aside.

Step 4

on medium heat, turning often until all sides are seared (about 12 minutes) and nicely charred. Turn grill to low and continue to cook (or place in a 350F oven) until internal temperature reaches 140 F. This is important. Do not overcook– or pork will become dry. Once the internal temp of pork is 140 F, promptly remove from heat and wrap tightly in foil and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Step 5

and place on a platter, spoon apple mixture over and around.  Spoon Pan Sauce over the top or serve it on the side. Garnish with sage leaves.