Since prehistoric times, the Neolithic Ages, pork has been a key part of the Irish diet and it continues to be a delicious treat, especially associated with a Sunday roast and this particular dinner is a real treat. Of course, most Irish will agree that roast pork is not proper roast pork without apple sauce.

Roast pork with roast potatoes isn’t complete without a generous dollop of sweet tangy Bramley apple sauce. The recipe for this fridge staple is so quick and easy, that you’ll never want to buy a jar again. Serve any leftovers with yogurt or layered up with granola. It is also great to sweeten porridge or with crispy roast duck. If you like you can spice it up with a pinch of ground cloves or allspice. Keep any leftovers in the fridge and use them in a sandwich to take to work or college.

You'll thank us later! Enjoy.

Irish roast pork with Bramley apple sauce recipe

Serves: 4 to 6 people

Ingredients

For the roast pork:

  • 1.25kg boned & rolled pork loin
  • 2 onions, cut into thick slices
  • 2 carrots, thickly sliced on the diagonal
  • 2 celery sticks, thickly sliced on the diagonal
  • 15g bunch of fresh thyme and/or sage
  • Rapeseed or olive oil, for cooking
  • About 200ml white wine or chicken stock

For the Bramley apple sauce:

  • 750g Bramley apples (roughly 4 large apples)
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 3 tablespoons of caster sugar
  • 25g butter
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) Gas mark 7. Dry the pork with kitchen paper. Tip the vegetables and herbs into a roasting tin and season with salt and pepper, then drizzle over a little oil. Rub a little more oil over the pork and season all over, then put in the middle of the vegetables. Add a splash of wine or stock and roast for 25 minutes.

Reduce the heat to 180°C (350°F) Gas mark 4 and add another splash of wine or stock. Roast for 1 hour or until the pork is tender and cooked through. Transfer the pork to a warm plate and leave to rest for 20 minutes covered with tin foil and a clean tea towel.

Meanwhile, make the Bramley apple sauce. Peel and dice the apples and put in a small pan with the lemon juice and sugar. Add two tablespoons of water and heat gently for 4-5 minutes until the apples are soft. Add the butter and beat with a spoon until nearly smooth, leaving a few chunks, then season to taste with salt. Leave to cool.

Carve the pork into slices and arrange on warmed plates with the roast potatoes and vegetables. Add a good dollop of the apple sauce to each plate to serve.

For more recipes visit Ireland's food board, Bord Bia.

*Originally published in 2022, updated in June 2023.