It’s easy to fit an entire meal in a pan when you roast your favourite meat over a bed of vegetables. This simple method is infinitely adaptable to the contents of your fridge and the harvest of the day. Simplicity is the goal and just about anything goes. Here, cauliflower, leeks, and apples slowly roast, absorbing the juices and flavours of cinnamon-crusted pork tenderloin. The toughest part is leaving leftovers! – Farmhouse Vegetables, Michael Smith, Penguin Canada.
Follow Chef Michael Smith on IG / FB / X
Pan-Roasted Cauliflower, Leek, Apple and Cinnamon-Crusted Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
Pan-Roasted Vegetables
- 1 head of cauliflower cut into small florets, stem diced
- 1 bunch of leeks tops and bottoms trimmed, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) intact rounds, rinsed as needed
- 4 Honeycrisp apples or your favourite apple about 1 pound/450 g, cored and quartered
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) vegetable oil, bacon drippings, or other reserved animal fat
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
Cinnamon-Crusted Pork Tenderloin
- ¼ cup (60 mL) firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper 1 pork tenderloin about 1 pound/450 g, tough silverskin removed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Turn on the convection fan if you have one.
- In a large roasting pan, gently toss together the cauliflower, leeks, apples, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and vegetable oil. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Roll the pork tenderloin in the mixture to evenly coat. Nestle the pork in the centre of the vegetables. Roast, gently shaking and settling the pan once or twice, until the vegetables and pork are tender and lightly browned, 45 minutes or so. The pork is done when a digital or quick-read thermometer registers at least 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part of the meat. Remove from the oven and rest a few minutes. Thinly slice the pork and return it to the pan with any accumulated juices. Stir together gently before serving.
Notes
Excerpted from Farmhouse Vegetables by Michael Smith. Copyright © 2023 Michael Smith. Photography by Al Douglas. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.