Herbed Pork Tenderloin With Apples and Cider Sauce

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, thyme, and garlic in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture over pork. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan. Place pork on a sheet pan. Bake 14 minutes or until pork registers 160°. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add leek, apples, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook 6 minutes or until soft and lightly browned, stirring frequently.

Combine water and flour in a small bowl; set aside. Remove apple mixture from pan; keep warm. Add 3/4 cup cider to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until reduced to 1/2 cup. Add flour mixture to reduced cider, stirring with a whisk. Simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in whipping cream.

Slice pork thinly. Divide apple mixture evenly among 4 plates; serve pork alongside. Spoon sauce over pork and apples.

Andrea's wine pick: Barrel-fermented California Chardonnay has plenty of apple notes to echo the sauce and enough body to stand up to the pork. Try St. Francis, Sonoma 2002, $