Rosemary Crusted Roasted Pork Loin with Oven Roasted Potatoes

Fellow Foodies,

With the change of seasons and leaving the lighter summer food behind, pork makes a nice fall change.

Tonight, I made Rosemary Crusted Pork Loin with Oven Roasted Potatoes.  The side item was sauteed fresh green beans with garlic.

Preparation for this dish is easy.

I selected a 3 1/2 lb Pork Loin.
To prepare the Pork for roasting, I make a mixture of
Coarse Ground Pepper and Kosher Salt.

Pork Loin - fat side down

I used 3 garlic gloves.  I cut the garlic into slivers that I can insert into the meat then top with dried Rosemary.

I flip the loin with the fat side up, poke about 10 holes into the meat (2 rows of 5), and then insert the garlic slivers so that they are buried in the meat.

After inserting the garlic, I flip the roast fat side down. I coat the bottom side with olive oil but you can use vegetable oil as well.

For the seasoning , I use 3 parts coarse pepper to 1 part kosher salt and sprinkle liberally to cover the meat.
I once again flip the roast fat side up, coating with the oil, sprinkling the salt and pepper mixture, and covering the top with dried rosemary.

Seasoned Roast with Potatoes going in the oven

Placing the seasoned roast in a large roasting pan that has a rack insert for the meat.  I use a cooking spray (like Pam) to coat the bottom of the pan, sides and on the rack as well.

I had previously washed and peeled 6 russet potatoes and have cut them into large pieces and placed them in the bottom of the pan.  DO NOT SEASON the potatoes as the meat drippings will do this during cooking.

Roast Pork Loin - finished

Cooking time is 25 minutes per lb at 375 degrees.  A 3 1/2 lb roast takes approximately 1 1/2 hours or until the temperature is 160 degrees.

Pork Loin - resting before slicing

When done I remove from the oven and like all roasts let it set for about 15 minutes,

Roasted Potatoes coated with pan drippings

After removing the roast to rest, I coat the roasted potatoes with the pan drippings and seasoning.
There should be adequate drippings from the pork to coat the potatoes.  Minimum seasoning should be necessary.

Pork Loin sliced

This is what the finished Pork Loin looks like - notice its cooked through and is not dried out.

Rosemary Crusted Pork Loin with Oven Roasted Potatoes

For plating I added 2 slices of Pork, oven roasted potatoes and sauteed green beans.













Bon Appetite

Memphis Food Guy

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Brined and Grilled Pork Chops with Chipotle Glaze

Fellow Foodies,


In one of my Viking Cooking Classes on Meat - I had the chance to do this recipe.  It helped me better understand the value of "brining meat".  Check out this great recipe some night.

Brining adds flavor and moisture to these lean chops - it’s the prefect way to get them ready to grill. The chops are finished off with a thick brushing of Chipotle Glaze, adding a huge amount of spicy, sweet and smoky flavor.

Pork Chops

• 1/4 (packed) cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1-3/4 cups boiling water
• 2 cups apple cider, divided
• 6 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• 3 bay leaves (preferably Turkish)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, crushed
• 4 (8-ounce) pork rib chops
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for oiling grill
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Dissolve brown sugar and salt in boiling water. Add cider, and stir to combine. Make a spice sachet** with the garlic, bay leaves, thyme and peppercorns. Add sachet to cider mixture, and cool to room temperature.
Add pork chops to room temperature brine, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Glaze

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1-½ oranges)
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce,* chopped
• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce*

Combine orange juice, zest, honey, soy sauce, chipotle chile and adobo sauce in a small sauce pan. Place over medium-high heat, and cook until sauce has thickened and reduced by half, about 5 to 8 minutes.

To Grill

Take pork chops out of brine, and dry really well with paper towels. Throw away brine and spice sachet. Preheat grill to medium-high. Clean grates with a stiff brush, then oil liberally to prevent sticking. (Note: To use a grill pan, preheat a lightly oiled grill pan to medium-high heat.)

Brush pork chops with oil, then generously season both sides with pepper. Place each pork chop onto the hot, oiled grill, and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Without turning, rotate chops 90 degrees, and continue cooking until meat is seared and crusty on the outside, about 2 minutes more. This will produce beautiful cross-hatch grill marks. Flip chops over, then thickly brush with glaze. Repeat grilling process for second side. Cook chops to an internal temperature of 145°F (medium-well). (Note: The chops will continue to cook a bit further after removing from the grill.)

Transfer pork chops to a warm platter. Let the meat rest, loosely tented with aluminum foil, for about 5 minutes before serving.

* Canned chipotles in adobo sauce can generally be found at ethnic and/or specialty markets or in the international section of many grocery stores. If unable to locate in your area, purchase online atethnicgrocer.com.

** To make the sachet, cut a 6 to 8-inch double-folded square of cheesecloth. Rinse it under cool running water, then squeeze it dry. Place the herbs and garlic in the middle of the cheesecloth square, and draw up all four corners; tie securely with kitchen twine.

Yields: 4 servings

Great Eating!!
Memphis Food Guy

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