Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Smithfield® Marinated Fresh Pork. The opinions and text are all mine.
I struggle with coming up with dinner ideas when it’s hot. There are tons of things I’d rather be doing when the weather is beautiful, and heating up the kitchen while slaving over the stove is NOT one of those things.
Thankfully, between our backyard grill and my beloved Instant Pot, I can get a delicious dinner on the table in no time, with a little help from Smithfield Marinated Fresh Pork.
Pork chops and applesauce were a staple dinner when I was growing up, and I love this updated spin on that pairing, a Hardwood Smoked Bacon and Cracked Black Pepper Pork Tenderloin goes beautifully with this super easy 5 minute Instant Pot applesauce.
I picked the pork up at Safeway, where it’s in the fresh meat case. There are several flavors available, but whenever bacon anything is an option, that’s what we’re going to choose.
I love the pre-marinated tenderloin, because the flavors are delicious, and the advance prep is done for me. I can pick it up on my way home from work for dinner that night; I just have to cook it and go!
You can roast, grill, roast, sauté or slow cook the tenderloin. I actually roasted this one because I didn’t want to lose any of the real bacon goodness on top, so I put it in a foil lined disk and baked it until the internal temperature was 150. (The recommendation is about 20 mins per pound at 425. I started at 18 mins. per pound and then used my remote thermometer to keep an eye on it)
I stick the pork in the oven (or on the grill) and then get to work on the applesauce. I love this version because there’s no peeling in involved. That’s right. NO PEELING INVOLVED!
I use this handy dandy apple corer/slicer to make quick work of my apples; I roughly chop each slice into 3 pieces and toss them directly into the Instant Pot.
I do about 2 apples per serving I want, so in this case, I did 6 apples to get 3 generous portions of sauce to go with our dinner.
Once the apples are cut and in the pot, add about ½ a cup of liquid. I used orange juice because it’s what I had, but apple juice would be great as well, or even water in a pinch. The apples will let out lots of liquid as well, so you just need to add liquid so the pot can build up that all important steam.
I sprinkle my spices on top of the apples and juice; cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger… you can do more of less of whatever your family likes. I like to make mine pretty spicy, and I don’t add any additional sugar. I think the juice adds enough sweetness, but your family might like more.
Seal the Instant Pot and set to manual pressure for 5 minutes.
Allow to manually release for about 10 minutes when done, open pot.
It’ll look like this:
Now use your trusty immersion blender or potato masher to the consistency you prefer; the blender will break up the apple peels into tiny little shreds, so you won’t even be able to tell they’re in there. It’s like magic!
Slice up your Smithfield pork and serve alongside warm apple sauce, for a fresh and delicious dinner in no time at all!
The pork and applesauce pairing is a classic combination for good reason; the flavors blend beautifully, and the salty bacon on the Smithfield Hardwood Smoked Bacon & Cracked Black Pepper Pork Tenderloin just just beautifully with the sweetness of the applesauce.
I love that I can put together this delicious dinner in no time at all, leaving me free to enjoy the beautiful evenings with my family instead of slaving over a hot stove to make dinner.
What are your favorite summertime meal solutions? Smithfield wants to see what you can do with Marinated Fresh Pork to get a flavorful meal ready in about 30 minutes with their “What Can You Do With 30?” meal and tip contest.
For more 30-minute meal preparation ideas, and to submit your original recipe for a chance to win great prizes, head to www.SmithfieldRealFlavorRealFast.com.
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