Barley Free Apple Cider Roast Pork Loin
This roast is the kind of centerpiece that makes a whole kitchen smell incredible — warm spices, caramelized apples, and savory pork all coming together in one pan. A blend of cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, and dried herbs gets rubbed right into the coconut-oil-coated loin before it ever hits the oven, building layers of flavor from the outside in. The braising liquid — unfiltered apple cider, bone broth, a splash of cider vinegar, and honey — keeps everything moist while the apples and onions underneath slowly soften into something almost jammy. Avoiding barley in a roast like this is genuinely easy when you build the sauce from scratch, since arrowroot starch steps in as the thickener instead of any grain-based flour or malt-derived ingredient. That swap is seamless — the pan sauce still turns glossy and rich, coating every slice beautifully. A high-heat start browns the exterior, then a lower oven temperature carries the pork gently to a juicy 145°F finish. Slice it into rounds, spoon those braised apples and silky sauce right over the top, and dinner is done.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the pork
- 2 ½ lb boneless pork loin roast
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ceylon cinnamon
For the roasting pan
- 3 medium apples (such as honeycrisp or fuji), cored and cut into 1-inch wedges
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
For the braising liquid
- 1 cup unfiltered apple cider (not hard cider)
- 1 cup bone broth
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
For the pan sauce
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 2 tbsp cold water
For serving
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Pat the pork loin completely dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, stir together the salt, dried thyme, dried rosemary, ginger, turmeric, and Ceylon cinnamon. Rub the coconut oil all over the pork, then press the spice mixture evenly onto all sides.
- 2
Scatter the apple wedges, onion wedges, smashed garlic, and fresh thyme sprigs across the bottom of a large roasting pan or oven-safe skillet. Pour the apple cider, bone broth, apple cider vinegar, and honey over the apples and onions, and stir briefly to combine.
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