Xanthan Gum Free Apple Cider Roast Pork Loin
Autumn on a plate doesn't get much better than a pork loin braised low and slow over a bed of apple wedges, sweet onion, and smashed garlic, all swimming in unfiltered apple cider and bone broth. The spice rub — sea salt, thyme, rosemary, ginger, turmeric, and a touch of Ceylon cinnamon — builds a beautifully fragrant crust that perfumes the whole kitchen as it roasts. What makes this recipe especially clever is the pan sauce: instead of xanthan gum or any gum-based thickener, a simple arrowroot starch slurry does the job, giving you a glossy, spoon-coating sauce with zero additives to worry about. That matters more than it might seem, since a lot of packaged gravies and sauce mixes quietly rely on gum stabilizers that can be hard to spot on a label. Here, every ingredient is straightforward and easy to verify. The braised apples and onions that come along for the ride become jammy and tender, making them as much a part of the dish as the pork itself. Slice it into rounds, spoon everything over the top, and finish with a scatter of fresh thyme — it looks like something from a Sunday dinner spread and tastes even better than it looks.
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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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