♥Herbed Roast Pork Loin with Chunky Walnut Applesauce♥

This is a little more work than your average roast. Perfect for a special family meal or when you really want to make a nice presentation for guests. I've served this with garlic mashed potatoes, cauliflower or asparagus and for dessert - a delicate peppermint mousse. This is a meal to remember. The kind where the candles are lit and good conversation is shared by all.

Ingredients

• 2 sprigs rosemary leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 sprigs sage, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• Pinch crushed red pepper
• salt
  
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 (6-chop) pork rib roast
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 1 bundle thyme, tied with string
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 quarts apple cider
• chunky applesauce, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
In a food processor, combine the chopped herbs with the garlic, crushed red pepper, a generous pinch of salt and enough olive oil to make a paste. Brush the paste on the outside of the pork rib roast.

Toss the onions with olive oil, and salt, and place in the bottom of a roasting pan. Add the thyme, bay leaves and 2/3 of the cider. Place the pork on top of the onions and place in the preheated oven. Roast the pork at 425 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes or until the pork has developed a lovely brown crust. Check the pork, stir the onions and cider if they are starting to burn. Add more cider when the level starts to go down.

Lower the oven to 375 degrees F and cover and roast for another 75 to 90 minutes. Remove 1 1/2 cups of the cider from the bottom of the roasting pan and reserve for the applesauce.

Let the pork rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. When ready to carve remove the pork from the bone and cut the loin into thin slices. Serve with the onions braised in cider and chunky applesauce.

Chunky Applesauce

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks (toss the apples in lemon juice if not using right away)
• 1 1/2 cups of the reserved cider from the roasted pork loin with cider
• 1/4 cup apple cider
• 1 pinch cinnamon
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (no substitutions)
  
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Melt the butter in a saucepan large enough to accommodate the apples. Add the apples and sauté over medium-low heat until the apples start to soften. Add the reserved cider, apple cider and cinnamon and cook over low-medium heat until most of the cider has evaporated and the apples are cooked and very soft.

Add the heavy cream and walnuts and cook until the cream has reduced by half. The end result should be a very chunky, sweet/savory applesauce. 
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