November 14, 2026

Apple Cider and Sage Pork Loin

Apple Cider and Sage Pork Loin makes a Thanksgiving centerpiece for six to eight when you bring it to the table surrounded by roasted apples and shallots. Garlic and fresh sage season the pork, while apple cider, Dijon mustard, and the browned bits from the skillet become a glossy pan sauce. The sauce has enough tang to balance the sweetness of the apples, and the shallots soften and mellow as they roast.

This holiday roast takes its flavor cues from Normandy, where the tourism office for the Pays d’Auge shares a local recipe that brings together pork tenderloin, apples, shallots, and cider. That recipe simmers the pork and finishes the sauce with cream. Here, a boneless center-cut loin gives you a roast to carve at the table, and fresh sage and a buttery cider reduction suit the Thanksgiving menu. The recipe uses nonalcoholic apple cider, which brings a mellow sweetness to the sauce.

Browning the pork before roasting gives the meat a golden surface and leaves flavorful bits in the skillet. Add the apples partway through roasting so the wedges soften while holding their shape. Choose a firm apple such as Pink Lady or Braeburn, and leave the peel on for color. While the pork rests, set the apples and shallots aside and simmer the cider and broth in the skillet, scraping the bottom as you go. Whisk in cold butter at the end for a silky finish.

Carve the pork across the grain and spoon a little sauce over the slices. Pass the rest at the table so guests can add more. Roasted green beans and mushrooms with crispy shallots make a savory companion, while wild rice stuffed acorn squash echoes the fruit and sage flavors. Mashed potatoes are another good choice, especially if you have extra cider sauce. Apple cider and sage pork loin is a great alternative to turkey at Thansgiving.

Mr. Sam

Apple Cider and Sage Pork Loin

A garlic-and-sage pork roast surrounded by tender apples and shallots makes a Thanksgiving centerpiece you can carve at the table. The cider-Dijon pan sauce is sweet, tangy, and especially good spooned over mashed potatoes.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1 10

Total Time 1 40

Servings: 8 Servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, French

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

3 Lb. Boneless Center-Cut Pork Loin Roast
2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Pepper
2 Tbl Olive Oil
3 Cloves Garlic Minced.
1 Tbl Sage Fresh and finely chopped.
2 Tsp Dijon Mustard
4 Shallots Peeled and halved lengthwise.
2 Apples Firm apples, such as Pink Lady or Braeburn, cored and cut into ¾-inch wedges.
1 Cup Apple Cider Non-alcoholic.
1/2 Cup Chicken Broth
1 Tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tbl Unsalted Butter Cut into slices.

Method

Season and brown the pork. Heat the oven to 350°F. Pat the pork dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork on all sides until golden, about 6–8 minutes total. Transfer it to a plate and take the skillet off the heat.
Add the sage and start roasting. Mix the garlic, sage, 1 teaspoon Dijon, and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Spread the paste over the top and sides of the pork. Return it to the skillet fat-side up. Toss the shallots with 1 teaspoon oil, arrange them around the roast, and roast for 30 minutes.
Add the apples and finish roasting. Toss the apple wedges with the remaining teaspoon of oil and tuck them around the pork. Roast for about 20–35 minutes more, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 145°F. Start checking at the 20-minute mark. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and rest for 10 minutes. If the apples or shallots need more time, leave the skillet in the oven until they’re tender, then transfer them to a warm platter. The federal minimum for whole pork roasts is 145°F followed by a rest of at least 3 minutes.
Make the cider pan sauce. Pour off excess fat from the skillet, leaving the browned bits. Add the cider and broth and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan. Simmer until reduced to about ¾ cup, roughly 8–12 minutes. Whisk in the remaining teaspoon of Dijon and the vinegar. Take the skillet off the heat and whisk in the cold butter a piece at a time. Taste and adjust the salt or vinegar.
Carve and serve. Slice the pork across the grain and arrange it on the platter with the apples and shallots. Spoon a little cider sauce over the slices and pass the rest at the table.

Notes

Choose the right cut. Buy a boneless center-cut pork loin roast with a thin fat cap. Roast it fat-side up. Pork tenderloin is a smaller cut and cooks much faster.

Keep the apples in wedges. Pink Lady and Braeburn apples hold their shape well. Leave the skins on, cut the wedges about ¾ inch thick, and add them halfway through roasting so they don’t break down.

Go by temperature. Start checking the roast after about 50 minutes in the oven. Once the thickest part reaches 145°F, move the pork to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes while you make the sauce.

Finish the sauce off the heat. Whisk in the cold butter a piece at a time for a glossy finish. If the sauce reduces too far, loosen it with a splash of broth.

Author: Mr. Sam

Filed Under: American, French, Main Entree, Pork Recipes, Roasting

Tags: apple cider pan sauce, fresh sage, holiday pork roast, pork loin roast, roasted apples, roasted shallots, Thanksgiving main dishes

Wild Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash with Wild Rice, Cranberries, and Pecans

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A Thanksgiving table can tell you a great deal about the people who set it. There may be a turkey in the middle, but the dishes around it often tell the better story. A grandmother’s stuffing, a neighbor’s tamales, or a pie made from a recipe card stained with butter can carry generations of family history. The holiday has a more complicated history. In the autumn of 1621, English settlers at Plymouth and members of the Wampanoag nation shared a harvest gathering that lasted three days. The Wampanoag had their own traditions of giving thanks long before the settlers arrived. Centuries later, the gathering became known as the “First Thanksgiving,” a founding story that left out the dispossession and violence Indigenous peoples experienced as colonization expanded. The federal holiday took shape much later. In 1863, during the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving and asked Americans to remember those who had lost loved ones in the conflict. In 1941, Congress established the fourth Thursday in November as the federal holiday. Today, Thanksgiving means different things to different people. Some drive hours to see relatives. Others gather with friends, serve meals in their communities, or feel the absence of someone who used to sit at the table. In Plymouth, Indigenous people and their allies have observed a National Day of Mourning since 1970, honoring Native ancestors and drawing attention to the enduring effects of colonization. Perhaps the most generous thing we can bring to Thanksgiving is attention. We can listen to the stories our families tell and make room for the histories we were seldom taught. We can thank the person who cooked, call the friend who is spending the day alone, or pull up another chair. Gratitude takes on a different weight when somebody else can feel it.

Before anyone sits down, the kitchen smells of butter, sage, and a turkey just out of the oven. Its skin is golden and crisp, and the first slices are usually gone before the platter makes it to the table. A pitcher of warm gravy follows close behind, ready for the turkey and the well someone has already made in a mound of mashed potatoes. I always look for the stuffing. The best spoonful has a little of everything, from the crunchy corners of toasted bread to the soft middle fragrant with onion, celery, and sage. Cranberry sauce, bright and tart, cuts through the richness of the gravy. Some families simmer whole berries with orange zest, while others slide the sauce straight from the can and slice it along the ridges. Either way, somebody will ask for it before the plate makes a full turn around the table. The side dishes are where families put their own stamp on dinner. One table might have green bean casserole with crisp fried onions and sweet potatoes crowned with toasted marshmallows. Another might have baked macaroni and cheese, collard greens, cornbread dressing, or tamales. And there is always a good reason to reach for a warm roll, especially when a little gravy remains on the plate. By the time dessert comes out, somebody has already said they couldn’t possibly eat another bite. Then the pumpkin pie gets sliced. Its custard smells of cinnamon and ginger, and a spoonful of whipped cream softens the spice. Pecan pie offers a sticky sweetness and a good crunch, while apple pie is especially welcome if it’s still warm enough to melt a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The next day, there’s one more pleasure waiting in the refrigerator. A turkey sandwich with leftover cranberry sauce might be the best bite of all.