Pork tenderloin roasted with cider and lentils

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 onions, peeled and cut into eighths

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 cup lentils de Puy or other dried lentils, well-rinsed

2 cups hard cider, apple cider, or unsweetened apple juice

handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1lb (450g) pork tenderloin

drizzle of hot chili oil (optional)

Method:

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Combine the onions and garlic in a roasting pan and stir in the lentils, half of the cider, and the parsley, and season with salt and pepper.

2 With the tip of a sharp knife, make 4 shallow diagonal slash marks over the top of the tenderloin. Season with salt and pepper, then place on top of the lentils. Drizzle with the chili oil and bake for 1 hour; then add the remaining cider and bake for 45 minutes more. If the meat is browning too much, cover with foil. If the lentils look dry, add a little hot water.

3 Remove the meat from the pan and keep warm. Return the pan to the oven and cook for 15 more minutes, Slice the pork, and serve.

Cook’s Notes:

If you want to speed up the cooking, use a 14oz (400g) can brown lentils instead of the dried lentils. Drain them well and use only half the quantity of cider. The time in the oven should be reduced to 45 minutes, or until the pork is cooked through.

Pork tenderloin roasted with cider and lentils