Why you’ll love this roast porked recipe
This recipe is super easy. You just slice up some fennel, onions and apples and throw them in a pan. Then you smear a super flavorful garlic-herb paste all over a pork loin and pop it into the oven. That it.
What you end up with is nothing short of amazing. The zip of the apples pairs to well with the licorice flavor of the fennel. But, then the pop of garlic and herb gets you and it’s like “woah”. You are going to love it.
I just love how versatile pork is. I like to serve this with a heap of dairy free mashed potatoes, favorite arugula salad or this roasted fennel orange salad. Make any side dishes you want. It can seriously go with anything.
More pork recipes: pork piccata / harissa glazed pork chops /pork rillettes / pineapple pork chops / pork ragu / crispy pork milanese
Ingredient notes:
- Pork Loin – This is such a great cut of meat for roasting. It absorbs the flavors of the herbs and fennel wonderfully, plus since it is such a large cut of meat you can feed quite a few people.
- Fennel – This aromatic vegetable that adds a unique flavor to any dish. With its slightly sweet and anise-like taste, fennel bulbs become tender and caramelized when roasted, adding depth and complexity to the dish.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
How to make roast pork loin with fennel and apples
Make the rub. Mix together olive oil, sage, garlic, lemon zest, salt & pepper to form a paste. Rub paste onto pork loin to evenly coat.
Assemble the dish. Place seasoned fennel, onion, apple and lemon juice into a dutch oven. Then place pork loin on top of mixture.
Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes – 1 hour 45 minutes or until pork has reached an internal temperature of 145˚F.
Frequently asked questions
You do not have to cover the pork when you are cooking it for this recipe.
A pork loin needs to reach an internal temperature of 145˚F. Cooking a leaner cut of meat like a pork loin to a higher temperature will toughen and dry out the meat.
If you are baking at 350˚F pork loin will need to cook for about 20-25 minutes per pound.
Roast Pork Loin with Fennel & Apples
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 pound pork loin
- 1 apple, cored and sliced
- 2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
- 1 large sweet onion, sliced
- 2 – 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, sage, garlic, lemon zest, salt & pepper to form a paste.
- Rub paste onto pork loin to evenly coat.
- Place fennel, onion, apple and lemon juice a large baking dish or dutch oven. Stir to combine. Season liberally with salt & pepper.
- Place pork loin on top of mixture and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes – 1 hour 45 minutes or until pork has reached an internal temperature of 145˚F.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Have you made this dish in the crock pot?
I haven’t tried it yet, but I would imagine it’d be great! I think you’ll end up with more juices in the end, and you won’t get a crispy skin, but the flavors should be great still!
Leave the lid on or off for this recipe?
Leave it off. Leaving it off helps the pork to brown, and you definitely want that for flavor.
I made this in my new 7.25 quart Le Creuset Dutch oven for supper tonight. It was really delicious! I used a 1.5 pound pork tenderloin instead of the larger pork loin because there are only three of us. I also used two apples and only one Fennel bulb because I wasn’t sure how my husband and son would react to the fennel. It is not common here in Texas, so I thought it would be best to introduce it to them slowly.. i also put the pork in the refrigerator for about an hour and a half to chill and marinate after putting on the rub. The combination of the lemon zest, garlic, and fresh sage was wonderful. My demolished that pork loin in nothing flat. My husband said, “Next time you make this, put in more of that dressing (meaning the apples, fennel, and sweet onion).” I served it with garlic mashed potatoes as suggested along with a spring mix salad (containing arugula). Prep time was more like 40 minutes when you consider all the peeling, zesting, and slicing of the produce, but I must say, it was well worth it. I will definitely make this again and probably even use two fennel bulbs!
That should have been 5 stars in my comment. It posted befor I could touch the other stars.
Another follow-up is that I made it again with the regular pork loin, and my verdict is that it is better with the pork tenderloin. I’m going to use the tenderloin from now on.
Can’t stand sage or rosemary, is there any other herb you might suggest?
Thyme would also work!