Thyme Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Garam Masala-Cider Sauce

This healthy, 21 Day Fix approved pork tenderloin is roasted with thyme and garlic and covered in a delicious, sweet-savory apple cider sauce. 

Do you guys have as much fun as I do going to the farm in the fall? I really love it. The pumpkins, the corn maze, the pony rides, the barrel train (no, I do not participate in the barrel train or the pony rides, but I saw another adult try to get in the barrel train with her kid and it... didn't go particularly well. Thank you, lady, for saving me the embarrassment of attempting that myself. Your sacrifice does not go unappreciated). Oh, and the CIDER!!

I feel like poor apple cider doesn't really get it's due because of pumpkin season. I get it. I love pumpkin, too (as evidenced here, here, here, and here), but some good, cloudy apple cider is what cozy dreams are made of and I just can't imagine fall without it.

Especially hot, OMG can I get some spicy, mulled apple cider up in here right now?! Now I'm going to have to make some today or I'll be craving it hard core until I do. It's pretty chilly here this morning, too, so that really sounds perfect.

This year, we went to Joe Huber's Family Farm in southern Indiana and it was a ridiculous amount of fun. The kids did all of the things I mentioned above plus a hayride and they loved every minute of it 🙂 We did, of course, bring home the biggest glass jug of fresh apple cider you've ever seen in your life.

And it was really, really good.

In the hopes of giving apple cider the love and attention it deserves, I wanted to make something with it. Something savory.

I remembered back in the day seeing Rachael Ray make some sort of "apple cider gravy" and I thought that sounded like an interesting idea (if maybe a little strange), so I set to work. I didn't look hers up so I'm not really sure what all she had in there, but let me tell you, that Rachael is no dummy. That was a freaking great idea.

I know, apple cider gravy sounds super-weird. And maybe even kind of wrong. Did you notice how I went with "sauce" instead of gravy in my title? Because that's how I feel, too. Anyway, this came out so stinkin' delicious, and it was super easy.

Here's what I did:

I roasted the pork with thyme and garlic, because thyme goes so beautifully with apples and garlic is the LBD (little black dress) of vegetation. As always, it's important to cook your pork to 160 - 165 degrees and no higher if you want juicy, tender, pork perfection. I do. I totally want that. So that's what I do.

Then I let it rest for 10 minutes. Seriously, let it rest, people! Anyway, I had some shallots on hand, so I chopped those up and cooked them in some butter so I could make a roux using whole wheat pastry flour (you could also use regular whole wheat flour). After the flour cooked for a minute or so, I whisked in the liquid. I used the aforementioned apple cider and some beef broth to keep the sweetness down a bit and to help make it a little more savory, I wasn't trying to make dessert here.

I added thyme and garam masala to this as well, then I let it cook down and thicken up. I don't even know what to say about this other than MMMMMmmmmm..... Oh my goodness, it was sweet, but not too sweet, the thyme was herby and bright and the garam masala added the perfect amount of warmth and spice. I was in fall heaven.

If you've never used garam masala before, it's an Indian spice blend generally consisting of coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, nutmeg, ginger, black pepper, and cumin. So many of my favorite things. Dreamy sigh. You could certainly make it yourself, but I just used a ready-made blend from McCormick.

*Here's a little tip from me to you: if you want to make this when apple cider isn't readily available, an AMAZING stand-in is Simply Apple. It's apple juice kept near the refrigerated orange juice. They call it apple juice, but to me it tastes more like something between juice and cider and it's pretty tasty!

Speaking of cider - have you checked out one of my other very favorite things to make with it? This Apple Cider BBQ Sauce is going to be your new favorite barbecue sauce!!

Anyway, this dish is definitely a new favorite at our house, I really hope you guys try it out!

Don't forget to save this Healthy Roasted Pork with Garam Masala-Cider Sauce to Pinterest! 

If you make this recipe be sure to snap a pic and tag me @thefoodieandthefix on Instagram so I can check it out! It makes me ridiculously happy to see what you guys are making 🙂

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📖 Recipe

Thyme Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Garam Masala-Cider Sauce

Yield: 6 Servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

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Ingredients

Thyme-Roasted Pork Tenderloin

• 2 pork tenderloins, trimmed (about 2 ½ lbs total)
• salt and pepper, to season
• 1 Tbs fresh thyme leaves (chop if you like)
• 4 small cloves of garlic, minced

Garam Masala - Cider Sauce

• 2 Tbs unsalted butter
• 1 ½ cup shallots, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (again, chop if you like)
• 2 Tbs whole wheat pastry flour (or regular whole wheat flour)
• 1 ½ teaspoon garam masala spice mix
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup low-sodium, fat-free beef broth
• 2 ¼ cups apple cider

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Spread the minced garlic an all sides of your pork. Then season with the thyme, salt (don't go crazy here) and black pepper. Place pork on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with olive oil or coconut oil cooking spray. Cover with foil and roast for about 25 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the center reads 160 degrees or the center is just slightly pink. Once done, let rest for about ten minutes and use the foil that covered them before to tent over them to keep them warm while they rest. Once rested, cut into ½" slices.
2. Meanwhile, make the sauce:
3. In a medium sauce pot, melt the butter and add the shallots and thyme leaves, lightly seasoning them with a little salt and pepper. Cook stirring occasionally until the shallots are tender. Once tender, sprinkle with the flour and continue to cook for another minute or so, stirring continuously.
4. Whisk in the broth, cider, garam masala and ½ teaspoon salt.
5. Continue cooking down until sauce thickens and reduces by half, about 1 ½ cups, about 15 minutes or so. Check the seasonings in case any additional salt, pepper or garam masala are needed.
6. Serve ¾ cup of sliced pork with ¼ cup of the sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

21 Day Fix Container Counts per Serving: 1 Red, 1 Tsp, ¾ Purple drink swap, ¼ Green

Weight Watchers Personal Points Link: Thyme-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Garam-Masala Cider Sauce

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: ¾ cup sliced pork, ¼ cup of the sauce
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 302Total Fat: 9g