This is a superb date dish because all of the prep can be done and the mess cleaned up long before your date arrives. Then just bake and serve. We use pork tenderloin because it is all dark meat and it stays moist even if it’s a little overcooked. With this classic combination of pork, apples, and sweet potatoes, even the most inexperienced cook can look like a pro.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 2
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Up to 8 hours before mealtime, cut one of the apples into 8 wedges and arrange them down the center of a baking pan large enough to hold the tenderloin. (You don’t serve these apples, they just add a little flavor and raise the tenderloin off the pan so it cooks evenly.) Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the pork tenderloin, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until browned. Place the browned tenderloin on top of the apples, season lightly with salt and pepper, and spread the preserves over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.
Step 2
Remove the cores from the remaining two apples by inserting a small knife near the core of each apple and cutting completely around the core. (The idea is to remove the core, keeping the apple whole, and creating a hole in the center of each apple.) Check inside the apples and remove and discard any remaining bits of the core. Combine the brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the raisins in a small bowl and press half of the mixture firmly into the center of each apple. Place the apples in a baking pan, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside until ready to cook.
Step 3
Stir the butter, confectioners’ sugar, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon together in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Step 4
One hour and 15 minutes before mealtime, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 5
One hour before mealtime, poke the sweet potatoes with a fork and arrange on a baking pan or a piece of aluminum foil and place on the lower rack in the oven. Remove the plastic wrap from the apples and place the baking pan on the lower rack of the oven next to the potatoes.
Step 6
Fifty minutes before mealtime, remove the plastic wrap from the tenderloin and bake for 40 minutes, or until the meat is not pink. (Insert a knife in the center to check. The juices may still be a little pink, but the meat should be brown. If you are in doubt, put it back in the oven for 10 more minutes.)
Step 7
Remove the tenderloin from the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven and squeeze gently to make sure they are soft. If they are still firm, return them to the oven for 10 more minutes. Remove the apples from the oven and set aside. Slice the thin ends off the tenderloin and discard, then cut the remainder into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
Step 8
Arrange 4 or 5 slices of the hot tenderloin on one side of each plate. Place one sweet potato on each plate, slice them open, and spoon some of the cinnamon-butter inside. Place a baked apple on each plate and spoon any sugar from the pan over the apples. Serve immediately.
