Shea McGee's Pork Tenderloin Recipe Calls for a Surprising Ingredient – and I'm Considering Serving it on Christmas Day

Classic dishes will always earn a spot on my holiday table, but I'm keen to serve up a few surprises this Christmas. It might sound risky, but I have a trick up my sleeve: Shea McGee's pork tenderloin recipe, which calls for a rather unexpected ingredient that I know my guests will love.

While the Christmas hosting countdown might not seem like the time to experiment, Shea's recipe combines a few beloved flavors to produce a hearty, indulgent dish. The secret? Hot honey and apple butter – a combination that's eternally tempting, undeniably comforting, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

'I love hot honey on everything,' says Shea in a recipe video shared on her Instagram. The marinade is, she explains, 'the best part of this dish. You can do a quick marinade for 30 minutes, but I think overnight or at least three hours is ideal.'

To ensure the dish is packed with as much flavor as possible, Shea even sets half of the marinade aside to use as a dressing once the pork is cooked.

You might expect to see a hot honey and apple butter marinade on a comforting fall menu rather than a holiday spread, but Shea's recipe feels like a timeless choice to me. I'll never say no to the sweet-and-spicy delights of hot honey, and I'm happy to indulge in harvest-inspired flavors long after winter sets in.

Plus, as Shea notes in her pork tenderloin recipe post on the Studio McGee blog, the recipe is 'a complete, no-sides-needed meal which comes together quickly – perfect for this wonderfully busy stretch of the year.'

Once the meat has been marinated, Shea sears it on the burner while roasting chopped shallots, potatoes and apples. She then adds the pork loin to the vegetable mixture and places everything back in the oven.

'You can finish this dish in two ways: in more of a salad form, or you can create a beautiful presentation on a platter,' Shea explains. In the video, she arranges slices of pork loin on McGee & Co's scalloped Veridien serving platter before adding chives, arugula, and that all-important hot honey dressing.

'This dish is comfort food with a kick,' concludes Shea on her blog. 'It's effortless, elevated, and exactly what this time of year calls for.' I know my holiday menu is about to get an upgrade – and who doesn't love a touch of spice during the Christmas season?

Shea McGee's Hot Honey Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 (1 ¼ to 1 ½ pound) pork tenderloins
• For the marinade:
• ½ cup hot honey
• ¼ cup apple butter
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3 tsp kosher salt
• For the vegetables:
• 1-pound yellow baby potatoes
• 1 Honeycrisp apple
• 3 shallots
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• To serve:
• 1 cup arugula
• ¼ cup finely minced chives

Method

• To make the marinade:
• Combine the hot honey, apple butter, vinegar, and ¼ cup of the oil in a bowl. 
• Finely mince the garlic, then add to the marinade along with 3 tsp salt.
• Mix to combine. Set aside a ½ cup of the marinade for serving.
• To prepare the meat:
• Use a fork to prick the pork tenderloins several times on each side, then place them in a bowl or disposable plastic bag. Add the portion of marinade and toss to coat.
• Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
• To prepare the vegetables:
• Preheat your oven to 425°F.
• Slice the baby potatoes in half, core and slice the apple into eighths, and peel and halve each bulb of the shallots.
• Toss the vegetables with the remaining 2 tbsp oil and remaining 1 tsp salt, then add to an 18 x 13-inch sheet pan, making sake sure each potato is face-down.
• To cook:
• Roast the vegetables for 23 to 25 minutes, or until the tops of the onion and apple start to deeply char.
• Meanwhile, warm a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and sear both sides until golden (about 4 minutes each or 8 minutes total).
• Nestle the tenderloins onto the sheet pan with the vegetables and place it back into the oven for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are extremely tender and the meat's internal temperature is 140°F.
• Remove the pan from the oven and let the pork rest for about 5 minutes.  
• To serve:
• Slice the tenderloin and serve it on a platter surrounded by potatoes, apples, and shallots.
• Top with the minced chives, a pile of arugula, and use the remaining marinade to drizzle over the dish as a dressing.

Shop Everything You Need to Make Shea's Pork Tenderloin

Looking for more festive recipes? Check out Lucinda Scala Quinn's modern guide to the Feast of the Seven Fishes – it's a glorious way to kick off your Christmas celebrations.