Recipe: Pork Cutlets with Apple-Dijon Sauce

Serves 4 About 1 pound pork tenderloin

- 1 Gravenstein apple

- 1 tablespoon butter

- 3 tablespoons light olive oil, divided

- ½ medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced

- 1 ½ cups apple cider or juice, divided

- About ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided

- Freshly ground black pepper

- 4 tablespoons flour

- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1. Trim fat and silverskin from tenderloin. Then cut on the diagonal into ½-inch-thick slices. Place meat between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet to about ¼-inch thickness. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

2. Heat oven to 200 degrees. Cut a thin slice from top and bottom of apple, then cut into quarters; remove the core. Slice each quarter into three pieces. Heat a heavy 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and add butter. When hot, place apples in the pan and cook just until lightly browned on both sides and slightly softened. Remove to a plate, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and hold in warm oven.

3. In the same skillet, heat a tablespoon of oil on medium heat. Reduce heat slightly and sauté onion about 7 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons apple cider, ¼ teaspoon salt and a little pepper. Continue cooking about 3 minutes or until softened and golden. Remove onions from pan and keep warm.

4. Combine flour with a little salt and pepper on a plate; set aside 2 teaspoons. Dredge the pork in the remaining flour mixture, shaking off the excess. Place skillet back on medium-high heat, and add a tablespoon oil. When hot, place half of pork in pan. Cook 2 minutes, turn and cook another 2 minutes or until pork is golden and cooked through. Transfer to warm oven and repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and pork. Place in oven.

5. Deglaze hot pan with apple cider, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom with a spatula. Combine reserved flour with 2 tablespoons water and Dijon mustard. Whisk into boiling liquid, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, until thickened. Add juices that have accumulated around the pork and simmer another minute. Season with salt, pepper and thyme.

6. Transfer onions onto plates and top with pork. Spoon apples around the pork and ladle the sauce over the top.