We usually buy a whole boneless pork loin. Smaller ones are sometimes on sale, but the whole one costs around $20 and gives us 4-5 meals. Wow, you can't beat that! And it's a really good cut of meat! This method is for the roast from the whole, boneless loin.
As soon as we get the loin home we cut it into pieces. We used to choose roasts, chops etc but now only do roasts because we can cut it into chops or chunks later if we decide to. Usually we make at least one large roast (for company), a medium one and 3 smaller ones. These get wrapped up in freezer wrap and labeled according to size. If there are any loose pieces lying around they go into a ziploc to go into something.
Cooking a roast is one of the easiest meals on my menu yet it can be one of the most elegant! Here's how we do it:
Start seasoning with the fat side up. Rub some olive oil into the roast. Then rub some crushed garlic into that. Use as much or little as you like - we like a lot. And the kids like to help!
Boys season the pork loin.After that, sprinkle whatever you want on top. We probably don't do it the same any time. We have a nice herb garden and can go pick whatever suits our mood - tarragon is good, basil, rosemary, thyme or oregano. Sometimes I "go Greek" and use oregano with a little mint.
Or I get lazy and just use something from the spice cabinet - lemon pepper, dried rosemary, Slap Ya Mama. The thing is to use whatever you like. There's really no way to ruin it at this point!
The important part of the cooking is the actual cooking. Pork Loin is very lean and dries out easily!! Here is where you can really mess it up. It took me lots of trial and error to get to this point, but I figured out how best to do it.
I use a cast iron dutch oven. Any oven safe pot with a lid will do.
Add a little olive oil to the pot and coat the bottom. Add the roast, then about 1/2 cup of liquid - water, wine, broth - don't pour it OVER the roast to knock all the goodies off! Just pour it into the pan.
Cover and put in the oven at 325 degrees. Place the meat fat side up. Do not remove the fat prior to cooking! Always cook pork fat side up to retain the juices. Pork loin is so lean that you will need to leave the fat on while cooking - there isn't much, and it's easily removed for eating. This is a trick I learned working in a restaurant.
It won't take nearly as long to cook as you think! Recipes will tell you 30 minutes per pound. That may be too much. Always use a meat thermometer! You want the internal temperature to reach 155 degreed, then remove it from the oven. Yes, the thermometer says it needs to be 160 degrees - don't worry. You need to let it rest after taking it out of the oven, before you carve it. It will keep cooking while it rests, and it will be enough by the time you're ready to eat! Otherwise you're left with a dried out, overcooked pork roast and THAT, as they say, is not "Good Eats"!
I allow about an hour to cook mine, and I think that roast in the picture - a typical size for my family - is about 3 to 3-1/2 pounds.
When it gets to about 145 I take the cover off to let it brown a bit in the last few minutes. If it doesn't get brown enough, you can use the broiler - just for a minute!
When the thermometer shows 155, remove it from the oven. Place it on a cutting board (use tongs to move it. If you use a fork, the juices will drain out!) and cover with a foil tent while you get everything else ready. 15 minutes of resting time should be more than enough. Use the thermometer to see when it's reached 160 degrees.
Meanwhile you can use the pan juices to make a lovely gravy. Honestly, though, my family loves the juices "as is", so I rarely make an actual gravy for this.
The most important things to remember, in my opinion, are
Carve, and enjoy!
Or I get lazy and just use something from the spice cabinet - lemon pepper, dried rosemary, Slap Ya Mama. The thing is to use whatever you like. There's really no way to ruin it at this point!
The important part of the cooking is the actual cooking. Pork Loin is very lean and dries out easily!! Here is where you can really mess it up. It took me lots of trial and error to get to this point, but I figured out how best to do it.
I use a cast iron dutch oven. Any oven safe pot with a lid will do.
Add a little olive oil to the pot and coat the bottom. Add the roast, then about 1/2 cup of liquid - water, wine, broth - don't pour it OVER the roast to knock all the goodies off! Just pour it into the pan.
Cover and put in the oven at 325 degrees. Place the meat fat side up. Do not remove the fat prior to cooking! Always cook pork fat side up to retain the juices. Pork loin is so lean that you will need to leave the fat on while cooking - there isn't much, and it's easily removed for eating. This is a trick I learned working in a restaurant.
It won't take nearly as long to cook as you think! Recipes will tell you 30 minutes per pound. That may be too much. Always use a meat thermometer! You want the internal temperature to reach 155 degreed, then remove it from the oven. Yes, the thermometer says it needs to be 160 degrees - don't worry. You need to let it rest after taking it out of the oven, before you carve it. It will keep cooking while it rests, and it will be enough by the time you're ready to eat! Otherwise you're left with a dried out, overcooked pork roast and THAT, as they say, is not "Good Eats"!
I allow about an hour to cook mine, and I think that roast in the picture - a typical size for my family - is about 3 to 3-1/2 pounds.
When it gets to about 145 I take the cover off to let it brown a bit in the last few minutes. If it doesn't get brown enough, you can use the broiler - just for a minute!
When the thermometer shows 155, remove it from the oven. Place it on a cutting board (use tongs to move it. If you use a fork, the juices will drain out!) and cover with a foil tent while you get everything else ready. 15 minutes of resting time should be more than enough. Use the thermometer to see when it's reached 160 degrees.
Meanwhile you can use the pan juices to make a lovely gravy. Honestly, though, my family loves the juices "as is", so I rarely make an actual gravy for this.
The most important things to remember, in my opinion, are
- Do not overcook
- Cover while cooking, and use liquid in the pan
Carve, and enjoy!
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