Herbed Pork and Apples

This is definitely a favorite of mine for entertaining. It's super easy with amazing flavor. This pairs well with stuffing or mashed potatoes and leaves tasty leftovers. The rub sounds like lots of herbs, but the flavor is worth it. Don't have these exact herbs, experiment. I've replaced marjoram with parsley in a pinch. For fresh herbs, chop them super fine. Ratio is 1 t dry herb to 1 T fresh chopped herb.

1 t Dried sage

1 t Dried thyme

1 t Dried rosemary

1 t Dried marjoram

1/2 t Onion powder

1 t Pepper

2 t Sea salt

1 Red onion, chopped (optional)

3 T Brown sugar

6 lbs Pork loin roast

4 Apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1” chunks

1 c Apple juice or cider

2/3 c Real maple syrup (no substitutes)

1 T Corn Starch

1. In a small bowl, combine herbs. Rub over roast. Cover and refrigerate roast for 6-8 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 325. Place roast in a shallow roasting pan, and bake in the preheated oven for 1 – 1 ½ hours.
   
3. In a medium bowl, mix apples and onion with brown sugar. Spoon around roast and continue to cook for 1 hour more, or until internal temp of 160 degrees.
   
4. Transfer the roast, apples and onion to a platter, and keep warm.
5. To make the gravy, skim excess fat from juices. Pour drippings into a skillet. Stir in apple juice and syrup. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until liquid has been reduced by half, about 1 cup. If in a hurry, cook down drippings, juice, and syrup while mixing cornstarch with equal parts water. Wisk into dripping and bring to boil for 2 minutes.
6. Serve roast with apples, onions, & sauce. Extra roast can be used for morphing leftovers.

Total Costs: $16.20
Keep in mind that this provides enough meat for 2-3 meals
Roast: $12 (Meijer or Costco)
Apples: $2 (Aldi's)
Herbs: from stock
Maple syrup: $2 (Meijer)
Juice: $.20 (Aldi's)