Recipe: Roasted Pork Loin with Orange-Herb Sauce

A few weekends ago, when it was chilly and raw and all I wanted to do on a Saturday night was curl up with my critters, I decided to try a dish that just screamed comfort  This recipe came from one of the chef features in a recent Food and Wine magazine, and it called out to me with its piggy goodness and warm, citrusy sauce.

The dish was delicious, and fairly simple and straightforward to make (if a bit time-consuming).  The meat was nicely browned on the outside, but it also had that consistent moisture and tenderness that comes from roasting.  The sauce was great on the pork AND on the accompanying baked potato.  As a bonus, it filled the house with a lovely herbacious aroma.  It’s not terribly fancy, but it was exactly what I needed on a fall evening.  Enjoy!

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• One 1 1/2-pound boneless pork loin
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 5 black peppercorns
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 1 oregano sprig
• 1 parsley sprig, plus 2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves

In a large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the oil with the garlic. Add the pork, turn to coat and let stand for 1 hour.

Set a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°. In a medium ovenproof skillet, heat the remaining oil. Season the pork with salt and pepper and add to the skillet, fat side down. Cook over moderately high heat until richly browned, 4 minutes. Brown the pork on the remaining sides, then turn it fat side up. Add the orange juice, stock, wine, peppercorns and herb sprigs and bring to a boil.

Transfer the skillet to the upper shelf of the oven and roast the pork for about 35 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 145°. Transfer the pork to a carving board.

Strain the cooking liquid into a saucepan and boil until reduced to 1/2 cup, 15 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and stir in the chopped parsley. Carve the pork and serve with the orange sauce.

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Posted in Recipes
Tags: Dinner, Food and Wine, Pork