apple juice concentrate

Roasted pork tenderloin with sweet potatoes and apples

This is the fourth day of Meat & Potatoes. Which is a lot of these hearty starchy partners, I know. But I have promised a week of these satisfying mealsâ€“ so plod on I must!

We started with a traditional Pot Roast. Well, not that traditional, because I roasted my veggies separate and gave the sauce a big swig of vinegar. Thus improving both the taste and texture of this one-dish-wonder.

Speaking of traditions. The French have a Lamb & Potatoes gratin of sorts that they call Lamb Champvallon. In Day 2 I tweeked tradition, re-wrote history and updated my version with a bold new spice and boneless chunks of succulent lamb.

So as not to appear ready to re-write the culinary history of just one country. I also let loose my imagination on the Scots. They have a traditional side dish made with Turnips & Potatoes that they call Neeps & Tatties. Well, Sippity Sup was named after a nursery rhyme afterall, so it just made sense to translate the lyrical nature in that phrase for my selfish purposes. So I came up with Neeps & Tattie-Cakes, making my version reminiscent of another great bit a children's verse. I chose to serve these Tattie-Cakes with Zinfandel Braised Short Ribs.

Sippity Sup Continues »

Ingredients:

0.25 c walnut oil

2 T apple juice concentrate

1.5 t corasely ground black pepper

1 t salt

2 T molasses

0.5 c apple cider vinegar

1.5 lb boneless pork tenderloin

3 c sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 firm baking apples such as jonagold cut into 8 sections each

0.25 c chopped walnut pieces

1 T thyme leaves, minced

0.25 c honey

Directions

Combine the walnut oil, apple juice concentrate, honey black pepper, salt, molasses, apple cider vinegar, into a large zip lock bag. Add the pork the tenderloin to the bag and seal it tightly, pushing out as much air as possible. Let this marinate in the refrigerator at least 8 hours, and up to 3 days. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the tenderloin onto the bottom of a large shallow sided baking dish. Spread the sweet potatoes all around the meat, then pour most of the marinade into the baking dish, until the liquid covers the sweet potatoes about 1/2-inch. Put the meat and potatoes into the oven and roast 10 minutes. At this time open the oven and baste the meat and potatoes with the pan liquid, then add the apple slices and chopped walnut pieces. Sprinkle the minced thyme over everything and and roast another 20-30 minutes, until an instant read thermometer reads 135 degrees. remove the meat from the oven and move it to a cutting board to rest about 7 minutes. Slice and serve with the potatoes and apples.

Notes:

Ingredients:

2 c 1- to 1 1/2-inch-diameter new or red-skinned potatoes, halved

1 lb farmhouse cheddar cheese, grated

2.5 T all-purpose flour

0.75 c (or more) irish stout (such as guinness)

6 T frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed

1 T colman's english mustard

Directions

Boil the new potatoes in salted water until just cooked through. They should remain quite firm and hold their shape. About 4 minutes. Meanwhile, toss cheese with flour in large bowl. Bring 3/4 cup stout, juice concentrate, and mustard to simmer in large saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add cheese mixture, stirring constantly in a zig zag motion (to keep the cheese from balling up), until cheese is melted and smooth. Thinning with more stout, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer fondue to bowl set over a flame. Serve warm with the new potatoes for dipping.

Notes: