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Recipe Detail Page
Herbal Roast Loin of Pork with Orange Crust
Spring 2014
This sensational pork roast is juicy and flavourful due to the brining. Don’t omit this step even if you are buying Berkshire pork. Serve at room temperature—but it is also a superb hot main course served with a potato gratin and Swiss chard.
Serves 8
BRINE FOR LOIN
8 cups (2 L) water
½ cup (125 mL) kosher salt
¼ cup (60 mL) brown sugar
1 tsp (5 mL) peppercorns
1 tbsp (15 mL) thyme
1 tbsp (15 mL) rosemary
8 parsley stalks
1 piece orange rind, 1 inch (2.5 cm) long
3 lbs (1.5 kg) pork loin
ORANGE CRUST
2 tsp (10 mL) grated orange zest
1 tsp (5 mL) chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp (5 mL) fresh rosemary
¼ cup (60 mL) chopped Italian parsley
2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped mint
1 tsp (5 mL) chopped garlic
1 tbsp (15 mL) grainy mustard
2 tsp (10 mL) honey
3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Combine 1 cup (250 mL) water and remaining ingredients for brine. Bring to boil. Remove from heat and add remaining water. As soon as mixture is cold, add pork. Brine overnight, refrigerated, or for at least 12 hours.
2 Combine orange zest, thyme leaves, rosemary, parsley, mint and garlic in a small bowl. Stir in mustard, honey and 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil. Reserve.
3 Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).
4 Heat remaining 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil in a large pan. Pat pork loin dry. Sear pork loin for 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown in colour. Season with salt and pepper and brush fillet with reserved mixture. Transfer into baking dish with pan juices.
5 Roast pork for 1 hour or until an instantread thermometer reads 150°F (65°C). Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Reserve pan juices. Thinly slice and serve with Green Sauce (recipe follows).
Serves 8
GREEN SAUCE
Other uses for this sauce (without the reserved pan juices) include serving with boiled new potatoes, as a dip for shrimp and vegetables and as a salad dressing (for several salads), thinned down with 2 tbsp (30 mL) water.
2 tbsp (30 mL) mayonnaise
2 tbsp (30 mL) grainy mustard
2 tbsp (30 mL) red wine vinegar
Reserved pan juices from Herbal Roast Loin of Pork
¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil
2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped parsley
2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped mint
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Whisk ingredients except salt and pepper together in a bowl.
2 Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Makes 1 cup (250 mL)
