Apple Butter Pork Roast

My Apple Butter Pork Roast is perfect for a cool autumn day or any rainy day when you need some comfort food!  It's easy to make, but does take a little time to cook (mostly hands-free).  

Apple Butter Pork Roast

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4-5 lb. pork loin (not tenderloin)
• 2 onions, wedged
• 2 fennel bulbs, wedged
• 6 carrots, peeled and cut into 2” segments
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
• 2 apples, wedged
• 1/4 cup sherry, white wine, or apple brandy
• 1/2 cup apple butter
• salt & pepper, to taste

Serves 6 - 8
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4-5 lb. pork loin (not tenderloin)
2 onions, wedged
2 heads fennel, wedged
6 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
6 carrots, peeled and chopped into 2" segments
2 apples, wedged
1/4 cup sherry or white wine (apple brandy would be nice too)
1/2 cup apple butter
salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400.
Heat a large Dutch oven or medium-high heat; meanwhile, generously season pork loin with salt and pepper.  Coat Dutch oven in olive oil and sear pork loin on all sides until brown and crispy (you are not cooking through though, just searing).  Once seared, remove from Dutch oven and set aside.  
Sautee vegetables (except apples) in olive oil and pork drippings until beginning to brown, but not too soft.  Deglaze Dutch oven with wine/sherry/apple brandy.  Set pork loin on top of vegetables, cover with lid and roast until a thermometer reads about 120 (roughly 45 minutes).  
Once thermometer reads 120, remove Dutch oven from oven and coat pork loin in apple butter.  Add apples around loin with other vegetables.  Return to oven, covered, and cook until pork loin register 145.
Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes, then remove pork loin from Dutch oven and slice; serve with vegetables and drippings.