April 27, 2010

The Sunday Roast

We had a dear friend over this Sunday afternoon. He decided to stay for dinner and I couldn't have been happier because I had an actual honest-to-god Sunday Roast prepped. It's funny how giddy making a pork roast for Sunday dinner made me. It was oh so June Cleaver and I only lament that I didn't have an appropriately frilly apron to wear... next time, there's always a next time.

The thing about roasts is that they are usually incredibly easy and hard not to love. This one is layered in herbs and stuffed with garlic and the end result is pure Sunday bliss.

Sunday Pork Roast
1 3-4 lb boneless pork loin, well trimmed of fat (but not naked) and tied (don't worry about this, its doesn't have to be any more complicated then tying 4-5 bits of cotton kitchen twine around the meat and cutting them off at the knot... don't stress about trussing if you've never done it)
Garlic cloves, cut into thick slices (I like a LOT of garlic for this, use as much or as little as you like)
Kosher salt (you can use sea salt too)
Fresh cracked pepper
1/4 cup or more of Herbs de Provence (if you don't have them, you can use dried rosemary or thyme, or a combo)
1 tsp olive oil
Cooking Spray

-Preheat oven to 450, spray bottom of roasting pan with cooking spray
-Slice 1 inch deep slits into the top of the roast for the garlic and stuff one thick slice of garlic into each slit (you need the slits to be relatively deep, if they're too shallow the garlic will pop out of the roast as you cook it, just like those old fashioned pop-up timers)
-Pour the olive oil onto the roast and spread it around (this is mostly to help the herbs and salt adhere but also helps in crisping)
-Sprinkle a very generous amount of salt onto the roast, 2 tablespoons or so (as always, if using table salt, use less, table salt is actually more salty than kosher). Crack pepper on top of roast. Cover roast with the dried herbs. You want it really well coated, more like a crust than a sprinkle
-Cook roast for 45 minutes at 450, then lower heat to 350 for remainder of cooking time until the internal temperature is 150-155. A 3lb roast should take about 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours.
-Let roast sit for a good 10-15 minutes before you cut off the twine and slice into it.


2 comments:

  1. It looks so lovely and English and almost victorian!

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  2. now THAT is fabulous comment! thank you!

    ReplyDelete