Roast Pork Loin with Fall Fruits
Roast Pork Loin with Fall Fruits
Ingredients:
4 lbs. (more or less) boneless pork loin roast
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 head of garlic
olive oil
2 T finely chopped shallots
3 T finely chopped rosemary leaves
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup ruby port
8 oz of dried fruit (You can use a package of mixed fruit or produce your own using apricots, prunes, raisins, and currents.)
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 T unsalted butter
Directions:
Cut the top 1/4 off the head of garlic to expose the flesh. Place the head in a ramekin (small baking dish) and cover with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cover with foil and roast at 350° in the oven until the cloves are soft and lightly golden.
Squeeze out the soft garlic into a small bowl, and stir in the chopped shallots.
Salt and pepper the pork loin, and rub the garlic mixture on all sides and ends of the pork. Next, roll the pork in the chopped rosemary and put in a roasting pan. Place in the 350° oven and roast until the inside temperature of the roast is 145°. Remove from the pan to a warm platter and cover loosely with foil.
While the pork is roasting heat the orange juice, dried fruit, and port for about 10 minutes until the fruit is soft and the liquid is thickened. Set aside.
In the hot roasting pan pour in 1/2 cup of chicken stock to de-glaze the pan and stir to release all the crusty bits left from the roast. Cook until the stock is reduced. Add the fruit and port mixture, and stir until heated thoroughly. Turn off the heat and add a tablespoon of butter and stir until the butter has melted, then spoon around the sliced pork.