Thursday, December 30, 2010

Bone-In Pork Loin


This year we did a Bone-In Pork Loin for Christmas.  I had never done one before and after poking around the web for ideas I became intrigued with the wonderful presentation of this dish.


This recipe calls for having your butcher "French the bones and remove the Chines".  Well, I instructed my local butcher to do so, and he told me what I needed him to do was "crack" the bones... Not what I said, but what am I supposed to know...

On Christmas morning, when it became time to prepare the roast, I opened up the wrapper to find a beautiful 6 Bone Loin without the chine bones removed and cuts at each rib... I guess that's what I needed, right?  

I was pretty upset, thinking that these cuts would ruin the Loin's culinary potential... 

Nonetheless, I cleaned up the chines and decided to press on... and everything turned out just fine.

Photo: Mary Ann Rice

Prep Time:  1/2 Hour
Cook Time:  45 to 60 Minutes
Servings:  6

Ingredients:

1 Bone-In pork Loin (4 to 5 pounds)
30 very thin slivers of garlic (from 3 to 4 cloves), plus 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper



Method:  (For a photographic step-by-step check out Martha Stewart's original Post)

  • Make Slits - Heat oven to 450 degrees. Use a sharp knife to make 24 slits evenly all over pork, including the ends, and insert a sliver of garlic and a small pinch of chopped fresh herbs into each one.
  • Cut Pork - Holding knife against the bones, cut about 2 inches down to separate meat from the bone to create a pocket, leaving the bottom portion intact. 
  • Season Pork - Season inside the pocket with salt and pepper, then add chopped garlic and remaining chopped fresh herbs, spreading evenly.
  • Tie Pork - Tie roast closed with kitchen twine. Season generously with salt and pepper.
  • Roast Pork - Place pork on a rimmed baking sheet or in a roasting pan and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part (avoiding bone) registers 130 degrees, 45 to 60 minutes. (Start checking temperature after 40 minutes so you can better gauge its progress.) 
  • Serve Pork - Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes to allow the internal temperature to rise to 140.

Recipe Links:

Here is the original web post that provided the inspiration for the method.
Here is a similar post that provided the inspiration for the fresh herbs and seasoning.
Here is a video of the original post.
I also served a gravy with this dish - here is a link to the Pan Jus which provided the base.




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