Who's Cooking: Paul Mendola, Holbrook

A salesman for a coffee company, Paul Mendola lives in Holbrook with his wife and two teenage stepchildren.

Mission Fig-Stuffed Pork with Baked Apples

After you get the pork in the oven, prepare the apples and put them in the same oven a little bit later. That way both components of the dish will be done at the same time. Salt to taste when you drizzle on the olive oil.

One 3- to 4-pound boneless pork loin

2 tablespoons olive oil

One 7-ounce package Black Mission Figs, stemmed

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons honey

6 Gala, Jonagold, or any good baking apples

Brown sugar

Cinnamon

1/2 cup apple cider or apple juice

1/4 cup maple syrup

1. Make pork: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut pork loin lengthwise almost in half. Do not cut all the way through. Open to butterfly.

2. Drizzle both sides with olive oil. Cover one side of pork with figs. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with parsley. Tie pork loin closed with butchers twine.

3. Place in baking dish and drizzle the top with more honey and parsley. Cover with foil and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center reads 170 degrees, 1 to 1½ hours, basting occasionally and uncovering for last 10 minutes of cooking. Transfer to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil and let stand for 10 minutes.

4. Make apples: Trim bottoms of apples so they sit flat in an 8-inch-square baking dish. Core and peel, leaving half of skin on. Place in baking dish with apple cider. Fill apples loosely with brown sugar and sprinkle tops with cinnamon. Drizzle with maple syrup. Cover with foil and bake until fork-tender, about 45 minutes.

4. Strain pork drippings into a small sauce pan. Heat and pour over top of sliced pork loin. Serve with apples on the side. Makes 6 to 8 servings.