Pork and apples are a classic combination. There are a few theories as to why. Some suggest that pigs were often left to forage the windfall in apple orchards, others say that the apple harvest happened at the same time of year as when the hogs needed to be butchered before winter, and it’s also chalked up to simple gastronomy. Pork is a fatty meat and the sweet, tart apples help temper that. Whatever the reason, this is a combination that has stuck around for a long time.

With the apples in full swing, we decided to make pork loin medallions and apples in a grill basket to celebrate this classic pairing.

Watch the 1-minute step-by-step video

This dish really blew me away. We sliced the pork loins into medallions and cooked them in a grill basket with chopped bacon and apple slices. The only seasoning needed was some salt and pepper. After 10 minutes, we gave it a stir and after another 5 minutes it was ready. To add a little more depth to the dish, we made a coarsely chopped walnut pesto to put on top.

• Chop about a 1/2 cup of basil and 1/4 cup of walnuts, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and set aside.
• Peel and slice 3-4 medium apples, we used honeycrisps.
• Slice 3-4 strips of bacon into 1-2″ pieces.
• Slice a pork tenderloin into 1″ thick medallions.
• Place pork, apples, and bacon in the grill basket with a little olive oil.
• Grill for 15 minutes, turning pork at least once.
• At the end when the pork reaches 145 ºF internally, add the pesto and stir.
• Serve warm (we paired it with a salad).  ​