Roast Pork Fillets on Caramelised Apple and Onion

A friend asked me for a copy of this recipe the other day, and it made me realise I haven't actually made it for a while. I shall remedy this shortly as it makes an easy and delicious meal.

Pork fillet is a versatile and (as an additional bonus) very lean cut of meat – it can be cut up and cooked in a variety of different ways (as medallions, in stir-fries etc.) but because even a whole fillet is not very thick, it be roasted very quickly. This dish, with its mix of East-West flavours and techniques – is a good case in point, cooking in less than 30 minutes.

For 4 servings:

600–800g pork fillet or fillets
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1cm ginger, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons Kikkoman soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon five spice powder (optional)
2 Braeburn or Granny Smith apples
1 medium onion
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Kikkoman soy sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil

Preheat the oven to 225°C. While the oven heats, put the pork in a large, unpunctured plastic bag and add the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil and five spice (if using). Massage the bag so everything is mixed and the pork well coated. Leave to marinate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Core the unpeeled apples and cut each of them into 12–16 wedges. Halve and peel the onion then cut into 5–7mm slices.

Line a roasting pan with a non–stick teflon liner or baking paper. Add the apple wedges, onion, second measures of honey and soy sauce and the oil and toss together until well combined. Remove the fillets from the bag and place on top of the apple mixture, drizzle it with the remaining marinade from the bag, then place in the oven and cook for 20–25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pork and how well you like it done. The pork is cooked when the juices run clear when pierced at the thickest part. While the pork cooks, prepare your side dishes.

Remove the pork from the oven and leave to stand for about 5 minutes before carving into thick slices. If the apple and onion mixture has not browned, return it to the oven during this time.

Serve the sliced pork on a bed of the caramelised apple mixture, with kumara mash and other cooked seasonal vegetables on the side.

Photography: Lindsay Keats