Autumn on a Plate: Pork Tenderloin with Apples

Finally: a soul-warming, apple-filled meal to serve alongside those apple-filled beverages. Tulsa-based chef, influencer and cookbook author Shannon Smith, whose latest cookbook The Hidden Table collects recipes from her travels to the over 50 countries in which she’s taught cooking classes, has got a pork tenderloin recipe that looks fancy…but is a big ol’ cinch to make. (Even easier to eat.)

Years after first visiting Paris with my college friends, I recently returned to Paris with a completely new appreciation for the French culture and the knowledge that food is prepared differently in different regions using local ingredients.The small hotel where I stayed had a restaurant where the chef prepared dishes from the Normandy region, north of Paris, where he had grown up. In his restaurant, he served oysters simmered in white wine, buttery Camembert cheese, and pork smothered in sauce made with Calvados, the local brandy made from apples and pears. Normandy is famous for their Calvados, and it’s not only delicious to sip after dinner, it’s also a perfect accompaniment to this sauce that I serve over grilled pork tenderloin. I recommend grilling the pork over charcoal, but you can sear it in a hot skillet if you prefer. After you’ve indulged in this decadent dish you should reward yourself with a gorgeous glass of Calvados.