Herb Roasted Pork Loin

When I was growing up my mom used to make delicious pan-fried pork chops and served them with mashed potatoes, gravy, and peas.  These days I tend to favor pork tenderloin or pork loin over pork chops and various roasted potatoes, though I still enjoy mashed potatoes as well.  This simple recipe is just perfect for company. A beautiful dish with its mustard-garlic coating and fresh herbs, we now serve it with “sauce” rather than “gravy!”

A few fresh herbs, Dijon mustard, garlic and shallots = a lovely seasoning for a roasted pork loin dinner.

The pork is browned before heading to the oven. I scored the thin layer of fat on one side of the pork loin, browned it on all sides, then smothered it with the mustard-garlic sauce.

Herbs are layered under the browned pork loin and more herbs are placed on top as the pork roasts.

The coating of mustard, garlic and shallots keeps the meat moist, adding a delicious and flavorful crust to the pork.

Herb Roasted Pork Loin

Adapted from Gourmet magazine

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 (2 pound) boneless pork loin roast, trimmed

2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, divided

4 rosemary sprigs, divided

4 large thyme sprigs, divided

4 sage sprigs, divided

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

For Sauce:

1/3 cup dry vermouth

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 tablespoons Earth Balance buttery spread or unsalted butter

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preparation

Roast Pork:

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Pat pork dry and score the thin layer of fat (optional).  Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  In a stainless steel skillet large enough to accommodate the pork loin, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers.  Brown pork on all sides, then transfer to a large plate.  Put a metal rack in skillet and arrange half of the herbs down middle of rack.  Stir together shallots, garlic, mustard, and 1 tablespoon olive oil and smear over top and sides of roast, then put roast, fat side up, on top of herbs.  Roast  about 35 – 40 minutes.  Toss remaining herbs with 1/2 teaspoon oil and arrange on top of roast.  Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer registers 140 to 145°F, 5 – 15 minutes more.  Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 10 – 15 minutes.

Make Sauce:

Remove rack from pan and discard herbs from rack.  Place pan over medium heat.  Add vermouth and mustard and deglaze by boiling, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced by half. Add broth and simmer for 3 minutes.  Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a 2-cup measure.  If you have more than 1 1/2 cups, boil to reduce; if less, add water.

Melt butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk in flour and cook whisking until pale golden, about 3 minutes.  Whisk in vermouth mixture and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.  Serve pork with sauce.

***Leftover herb roasted pork loin makes great sandwiches.  Slice thin and pile on good bread with a little mayonnaise and a generous amount of mustard.  Add a bit of mild cheese, butter each slice of bread and place in a pre-heated pan  over medium heat.  Place a piece of foil over the bread, pressing down on the sandwich with another pan until nicely browned, flip and repeat on the other side.  Serve with a side of pickles.