Dijon Herb Pork Loin with Roasted Vegetables, Red Cabbage and Apples

Prep Time: 15 mins  Cook Time:1 hr 20 mins Resting Time: 15 mins

Serves 4-6

Buttered and spiced red cabbage and apple is the sweet compliment to savoury Dijon pork loin seasoned with thyme. The roasted vegetables cook along with the pork, allowing for easy clean up. The juices from the roasting tin are combined with white wine and veal stock and reduced to make a rich gravy. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 lb boneless pork loin roast 
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped into 2-3" pieces
• 1 lb pink skinned French fingerling potatoes, cut in half
• 1-2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and quartered (if really large, cut the quarters into halves)
• 4 large shallots, or small red onions peeled and cut into quarters
• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
• 3 tbsp Dijon mustard 
• 3 tsp dried thyme or fresh if you have it
• 200ml dry white wine
• 100ml concentrated veal stock (fond de veau)
• 1 tsp salt and pepper

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Pull pork out of the fridge. In a 8x12 inch roasting dish (or large enough to allow the veggies to be on a single level), toss chopped vegetables with melted butter and olive oil, plus 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes and toss. 
2. Meanwhile, sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Combine the garlic, Dijon mustard and thyme in a small bowl and spread on top of the pork roast. Nestle the pork roast, dijon side up, in the cooked vegetables and place back in the oven at 200 degrees for 40-50 minutes, until the internal temp of the pork is 71 degrees. (If you want the vegetables to have a bit more of a bite, remove when you feel are ready and reserve keeping warm. Also, during the roasting you may like to add a little wine to the roasting tin if there is not much juice and/or cover the tin with foil if you feel the meat or vegetables are charring, it depends on your oven).
3. Meanwhile, make the cabbage and apples see below.
4. Pull out the pork and vegetable roasting pan, and transfer the vegetables with a slotted spoon with the pork on top to a large serving platter, cover with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes. 
5. Deglaze the roasting tin with white wine on a high heat combining with all the cooking juices.  Transfer to a small sauce pan and add the veal stock, reduce the sauce to the consistency you want, add a couple of knobs of butter to make the sauce glossy. Serve in a jug alongside the meat and vegetables.

Buttered Red Cabbage with Apples

• 1 head of red cabbage shredded
• 1-2 large apples, peeled and chopped into 1/4" pieces 
• 2 star anise
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 200ml vegetable stock or water
• 50g golden caster sugar
• 75ml cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp good butter
• Black pepper

Method for Cabbage and Apples

• Place all the ingredients except for the apples, butter and black pepper in a large saucepan and season. Place over a medium heat, bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 30 mins. Add the apples, then continue cooking for 10 mins until tender. Drain and return to pan, add the butter to melt and coat the cabbage and add black pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving dish.