Roasted Pork Loin with Late Summer Vegetables

“Life itself is the proper binge.” --Julia Child

If you're looking for a quick and easy-but-company-worthy meal, then I say, grab a pork loin and be done with it.  (In less than an hour, too, since you only need about 30 minutes per pound in the oven.)  

I think of a pork loin as a blank canvas:

• You can brown it on the stove, wrap it in bacon and pop it in the slow cooker with some apple butter, sliced apples, figs, cider, maple syrup, garlic/onions and spices and end up with a really nice shredded pork dish.   
• You can make a sweet/spicy/vinegary bbq sauce and slow cook it until you have the perfect filling for  pulled pork sandwiches.
• You can roast it in the oven with all sorts of vegetables/fruits -- just make sure they are coated in olive oil/butter and add a bit of liquid if it seems dry during the roasting so they don't burn.
• You can add dried fruits and herbs and make a rub with nutmeg, garlic and cloves, and roast to perfection, for a great holiday meal.
• You can add a favorite grill rub, wrap it in aluminum foil and flame-broil it to perfection.
• You get the idea.

Roasted Pork Loin with Late Summer Vegetables i.e. the Veggie Drawer

I had a small pork loin (about 1 lb) in my freezer, so I popped it in the fridge to thaw in the morning, and by evening, it was ready to go.  

I preheated the oven to 350 degrees  and drizzled some olive oil in a roasting pan and then added the thawed pork loin (which I covered in a mix of herbs, a wee bit of bbq sauce, butter, and garlic powder).  Then, I basically tossed my whole vegetable drawer in some olive oil, salt and pepper before adding to the pan as well:  I threw in some onions and celery (making sure the pieces were big enough I could fish them out before serving to you-know-who), some baby carrots (split lengthwise), some roughly chopped bok choy (make sure you coat the leaves with oil), and some radishes, halved (don't forget, roasted radishes are quite tasty). They were all in my latest organic box delivery, so I put them to good use!

I roasted them for about 15 minutes, then added about 1/3 cup of leftover mango salsa and since I wanted a bit of a sauce, I added some chicken stock (you could use water, too).  I put it back in the oven for about 20 more minutes, until the veggies were roasted and the meat was cooked through.   

The salsa added a bit of spice and fruit to the dish, but didn't overpower it, and it cooked down nicely and added to the meat's juices. I sliced the meat, then transferred it and the veggies to a serving dish to rest (tented with aluminum foil). Then, I quickly strained the pan juices and reduced them a bit by bringing to a slow boil, before seasoning with salt/pepper. To finish, I arranged the food on a plate and then lightly spooned the sauce over it. 

Done!  Served with buttered brown rice, mashed potatoes, or a green salad and crusty bread, this is a pretty easy, delicious meal.  Try your own version soon, using whatever you have at home. You won't be disappointed.

xoxoxo

Petite Pork

I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate. --Julia Child

I know I've blogged about pork loin and root vegetables before, but it is winter, and I can't get enough of it. Pork loin and root vegetables, that is...not winter.

I usually marinate a plain tenderloin myself, but there was a deal on a 1.15 lb Apple Bourbon pork tenderloin from Hormel at the store, so I thought I'd try it. Plus, it was a good size for dinner for two and would make after-work prep minimal.

I had about six small yams from my organic box so I peeled those and cut them into chunks, then I grabbed about three smallish potatoes and did the same.  I also cut a small yellow onion into three large chunks (so I could pull them out before serving to an anti-onion Chris), smashed and peeled about six small cloves of garlic, and cored and cubed two Granny Smith apples.  And also three strips of apple-smoked bacon, diced.  I put everything in a huge bowl and added some olive oil, kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, a TBS of honey, and about a 1/2 TBS of turmeric, which gave it a nice, smoky, curry-like flavor--and a lovely yellow glow.

I trimmed some fat from the loin and placed it in the middle of the pan with the veggies around it and roasted everything in a 375 degree oven for about 40 minutes.

Heavenly...

xoxoxo

Update 19: New Year's Goal: Become an "official" Gourmess by August 2010

I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate. --Julia Child

The first Demonstration for Session 11: Methods of Cooking Meat: Poêle, Breading and Sautèeing, Cooking Pork was Carrè de Porc Rôti Choisy (Roast Loin of Pork Choisy).

I started with a bone-in center cut pork loin (about 2.5 lbs). I trimmed some extra fat off of it and then manchonnered the ends of the ribs.  That took a bit of time, but ended up looking great -- it really does change the presentation.  I secured the pork with kitchen twine to hold it together, and then browned it on all sides in a rondeau with vegetable oil and butter, and then removed it from the pan. I added any pork trimmings or bones I had from the prep part, and also added carrot and onion mirepoix and a bouquet garni. The vegetables were stirred and then the pork went back on top. I added 3 TBS of butter to the top of the pork, put the lid on the pan and put it in a 350 degree oven for about an hour and fifteen minutes, until my thermometer registered about 150 degrees and the juices ran clear when I pricked the meat with the tip of a knife.  I also basted the meat every 10-15 minutes with the pan juices, and for the last 10 minutes, removed the lid, so I could get a bit of a browner color.

While the meat roasted, I made the choisy garnish which included two heads of Boston lettuce, carrots cut in very small dice (brunoise), finely diced onion (ciselè), and lean bacon with the rind removed, also finely diced. I also tourneed (ugh!) some russet potatoes in château style, which is about an inch longer than the cocotte size.  

For the Boston lettuce, after washing thoroughly, I blanched the two heads in boiling salted water until they started to wilt and then removed from the pot, drained and refreshed in a bowl of ice water. Then, I shook off the extra water and lightly pressed each with a towel to remove extra water.  In another pan, I added added some butter and then the carrots, onion and bacon -- this trifecta is called a matignon -- and then the lettuce heads went on top, with some chicken stock added until it was covered by half.  I added some salt and pepper and then made a parchment lid, and that went into the oven with the pork for about 30 minutes, until the lettuce core was tender.

I boiled the potatoes until they were tender, then covered in some butter and put those in the oven to roast a bit as well. (The book just says to use cooked potatoes, so I was on my own as how to prepare them. I think this worked fine.)

When the meat was ready, I removed it from the pan, cut off the twine, and tented with some aluminum foil to keep warm.  Then, I put the rondeau back on the stove (it is so great to have such versatile cookware that goes from oven to stove and back again--definitely worth the investment), added some white wine and some thickened veal stock (homemade!) and simmered for about 15 minutes until it had a wonderful flavor of the pan drippings and the mirepoix. Then, it went through the chinois and back into a sauce pan where I removed any fat that was on the surface.  I added some salt and pepper, and reduced a bit more so it was more like a sauce and set aside.

The pan with the choisy came out of the oven. The book said to cut each lettuce head in half lengthwise and fold each half into 3 inch packets. My lettuces were pretty small, so I took all of larger leaves, doubled them up and then folded them into packets (hold lettuce by stem end, smooth out the leaves and then fold the top end of the leaf back toward the stem. I warmed the lettuces up with the potatoes with some stock and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Then, I assembled the dish. I carved the roast, added equal portions of lettuce and potatoes (the book says to nestle them) with a piece of the meat (I made my pieces thick cut), sprinkled with parsley and chervil and that was it. (Sauce was on the side.)

Chris said that mine looked just like it did in the book -- score!

Really lovely meal for a really lovely day.

xoxoxo