Pork Roast With Apples and Pears
This roast pork with apples pears and shallots is not only easy to make but so delicious from the simple herb rub to the caramelized sweetness from the apples and pears. I love combining seasonal fruit with savoury dishes and there is not a more classic pairing than pork and apples. The sweetness of the apples pears and shallots nicely compliments the roast pork. With its crisp skin and succulent melt-in-your-mouth flavor, this will be your new favourite one pan meal. I love to serve it with wild rice and salad. You have yourself a superb meal elegant enough for company but easy enough for a simple Sunday lunch or dinner with loads of leftovers to enjoy the next day.
It’s a set it and forget it kind of meal. I use to be intimidated to cook a roast like this but I learned that there’s really nothing to it. Having a meat thermometer is so handy and helps ensure your pork is perfectly done every time. The best part of cooking up a pork roast like this is all the delicious leftovers according to my husband. I love to slice all the leftover pork up in to thin slices. I usually freeze half to enjoy later and then enjoy the rest fried up with my eggs for breakfast or in a brioche bun with chow chow.
A pork rib roast is simple to make but impressive to present. Slathered with a fragrant herb oil paste the meat is roasted whole and then sliced at the dinner table. What makes this extra impressive to serve and bring to the table is the decorative frenching of the bones. That really makes it a showstopper.
Using pork loin with bone-in helps to keep the pork moist and always adds wonderful flavour. All this roast needs is a small amount of seasonings, the fat from this rib roast gives it all the flavor it needs. Feel free to switch up the herbs if you prefer to use another herb blend. I love the blend of apples, pears and shallots but you can chose to do one or the other when it comes to the fruit. And if you wanted to use red or yellow onions over shallots that is also fine.
This pork roast is easy to make, goes with any side dish, and perfect for special occasions or a quick, tasty dinner. The gravy is optional to make but it’s easy to make and you will love it with your pork - serve it over creamy mashed potatoes and you will love it even more.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 bone-in pork roast, (5 lbs) frenched, room temperature
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped sage
- 4 shallots peeled and halved
- 4 lady apples (or any variety of small apples), halved lengthwise
- 4 Seckel pears or Forelle (or any variety of small pears)halved lengthwise
- ½ cup plus white wine
- 2 cups plus ½ cup homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken or veal stock*
- ¼ cup plus apple cider (or apple juice)
- 1½ tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425°F, with rack in lower third of oven. Whisk together oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and sage in a small bowl. Season pork with salt and pepper; brush herb mixture evenly over pork.
- Place pork, bone facing upward, in a roasting pan. Roast 15 minutes then REDUCE oven temperature to 375°F. Roast 30 minutes.
- Remove pan, pour ½ cup of broth in pan around roast, and add apples and pears, cut side down. Rotate pan and continue roasting until pork is browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 145°F, about 30 minutes more. Transfer roast to a cutting board with a well and allow it to rest 15 minutes before cutting. Transfer apples, pears and shallots to a serving platter.
- To make the gravy: place roasting pan over 2 burners. Add wine; bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits on bottom of pan. Cook until reduced by half, approx 3 minutes. Stir in remaining stock and cider; season with salt and pepper. Whisk flour with equal parts water in a small bowl until smooth; add to gravy. Cook, whisking occasionally, until completely combined and gravy has thickened, approx 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter; stir until it has completely melted. Pour through a sieve into a serving bowl; discard any solids.
Recipe Note
- Depending on the cut of your pork you may need to add some stock to the pan so that the pan juices, drippings and flavours don’t scorch if you intend on making a gravy for your roast. I start with a ½ cup and check and add more if needed. Some cuts of pork are more fatty and release more natural juices, others not so much. Feel free to add more or less broth to the pan as needed.
Adapted from Martha Stewart
