Cider Glazed Pork Medallions with Turmeric Risotto

By Jamie Vespa

This flavorful meal is brimming with noteworthy nutrition and cozy Fall flavors. Add it to your weeknight or date-night menu this week for a 5-star treat!

Ingredients

• 3-4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 lb pork loin (trimmed and sliced into ~1 inch pieces)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 12 ounce bottle of hard cider, divided
• 1 apple (cored and sliced thin)
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1/2 yellow onion (diced)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. 1

   Bring broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat so the broth remains steaming, but is not simmering.

2. 2

   Heat 2 tsp oil in a Dutch oven or saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add garlic, rice, turmeric, ginger and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Stir to combine and allow rice to slightly toast for 1-2 minutes.

3. 3

   Pour in half of cider beer and mix to combine. Stir in 1/2 cup of the hot broth. Cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid has been absorbed. Continue to cook on medium-low heat, adding broth in 1/2-cup increments, and stirring frequently after each addition, until most of the liquid is absorbed. The risotto is done when you've used all of the broth and the rice is creamy and just tender, 25 to 30 minutes total.

4. 4

   While risotto cooks, begin preparing pork by heating 1 tsp of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork medallions with sea salt and black pepper and arrange in a single layer in skillet. Cook ~3 minutes per side. Add remaining cider, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate. Add apple slices and cook for ~5-6 minutes, until softened and caramelized. At this point, most of the cider should have been soaked up or evaporated. Add pork and fresh thyme back into pan and keep warm until ready to serve.

5. 5

   To assemble, ladle a scoop of risotto onto a plate and top with 2-3 pork medallions and a generous amount of caramelized apple slices. Add another sprig of fresh thyme (optional) and serve!