Hard Cider Pork Roast & Spaetzle

What a perfect fall day! It was cool and we were lazy, so a yummy dinner was in order. Pork with apple and onions was a combo I had been anxious to try, so after watching a episode of 5 Ingredient Fix I decided to give it a try. I used Claire Robinson's pork recipe, and a spaetzle recipe from Taste of Home that I added thyme to.

The spaetzle didn't work out quite like I thought it would. The batter was super sticky and wouldn't drop from the colonder. However, it still had good flavor so I won't call it a failure! Dinner rolls and peanut-butter brownies supplied by my mom completed the meal, and boy is my belly full!

Pork Roast with Hard Cider Gravy

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 1 tablespoon cold

2 1/2 pound pork loin roast, trimmed and tied

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1 onion, peeled and sliced

2 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced

5 sprigs fresh Thyme

1 bottle, (12 ounces) hard cider, plus more as necessary

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add 2 tablespoons of butter. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper, to taste, and sear on all sides in the hot pan until golden brown; set aside. Add the onions and apples and season again with salt and pepper. Cook until they begin to caramelize, then pour in the hard cider and scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add thyme. Bring to a simmer and nestle the browned pork roast back into the pan. Cover with a lid and put in the oven to braise until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove the pork roast from the pot and transfer to a carving board; tent with foil to keep warm. Transfer the contents of the pot to a food processor or blender and puree, then return the puree to the pan. Bring to a boil, season with salt and pepper, to taste, then reduce the heat to low and add more cider if gravy is too thick. Add the remaining tablespoon of cold butter, whisking constantly as it melts. Remove from heat when the gravy is smooth and shiny and the butter is completely melted.

Slice pork loin roast and arrange on a serving platter. Serve with sauce and enjoy!

Spaetzle

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Dash white pepper

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup milk

3 sprigs fresh thyme

4 quarts chicken broth or water

2 tablespoons butter

In a bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, thymespaetzle rise to the surface; remove to ice water. Drain well. In a skillet, heat spaetzle in butter until lightly browned. Serve with schnitzel and gravy or with Parmesan cheese. Yield: 2 servings. (I doubled the recipe to serve 4.)