Pan Roasted Pork Loin with Bacon-Braised Red Cabbage

This is not a very good picture, I have to admit - but this is such a delicious meal - so simple and perfect for this time of year - that I wanted to share it. I used this recipe for the pork, without the sauce, and this recipe for the cabbage (which makes a TON by the way, enough for ten people. ) But from there, I departed from the recipes.

I made the cabbage on a Sunday, and kept it in the fridge overnight. I think it benefits from a little aging.

On Monday, I rolled two pork loins in the seasonings as specified in the recipe, and pan fried them in a large saute pan. It was surprisingly quickly and easy, and didn't make too much mess. It's a good method to avoid overcooking them!

I then fried a few slices of bacon in a saute pan, poured off the grease, chopped the bacon into pieces, and sauteed the cooked cabbage over high heat in the bacon grease left behind. I added a sprinkle of cider vinegar, a dash of sugar, and the chopped bacon back into the pan - along with some salt and pepper. Somehow this gave it that sweet and sour flavor that the cabbage lacked originally. I served the cabbage and sliced pork loin over some buttery mashed potatoes flavored with light sour cream, along with a green salad with pears. This is really quick to make (as long as you make the cabbage ahead of time) and would make a great fall dinner party entree. The exotic spices on the pork loin complemented the red cabbage really well and added a little unexpected extra oomph.

Even if you don't have time for the cabbage, etc. at least try cooking the pork loins this way - I highly recommend it!