Pork Tenderloin with apples

This recipe had disaster written on it when I realized my supply of quick barley was way lower than I realized and that regular barley takes about an hour to make.  No bueno for a weeknight in our house.  So I went with what I had and we all got a smaller than normal portion of barley, which worked out fine.

I also made some of the other barley for the freezer so it's on hand should this happen again!

This was a perfect fall dish.  It came together reasonably quickly (the folks at Food Network suggest 40 minutes, which was about right for disaster cook me), and was delicious.  My three year old didn't really eat much more than the apples and barley, but the rest of us enjoyed the whole meal, though both boys did scrape the "onion things" out of their apples.

Oh, and I also made up my own pumpkin pie spice, which was super easy and surely way cheaper than buying a jar in the store!  I'm not sure exactly which I used (pretty sure mine did not use allspice), but here's one that looks easy enough!  I stored mine in an old cinnamon container I had around (I saved it for craft purposes, but this seemed like a better use!), after taking off the label and making sure to mark it.

Pork Tenderloin with Apples Source:  Food Network Kitchens

1 large pork tenderloin (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 baking apples (such as McIntosh)
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 cup quick-cooking barley
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Sprinkle the pork with the pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook, turning, until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes.

Halve the apples and scoop out the cores. Cut 1/2 tablespoon butter into 4 pieces; put a piece in each apple half. Sprinkle with half of the shallot and a pinch of salt. Add the apples to the skillet with the pork, cut-side up, and transfer to the oven. Roast until a meat thermometer registers 145 degrees F, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine 1 3/4 cups water, the remaining shallot and a pinch of salt in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Add the barley, cover and cook over low heat until the water is absorbed, 12 minutes. Add the parsley.

Transfer the pork and apples to a cutting board. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the cider, vinegar and 1/4 cup water; simmer, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Slice the pork and serve with the pan sauce, apples and barley.