I hope the weather is as nice wherever you are as it is here today. Right now, it’s 80 degrees with a tiny little breeze. It makes me want to open all the windows and let the fresh air flood through the house. Unfortunately, along with 80 degrees comes an explosion of pollen. Our nightly local weather forecast includes the pollen count for the day. They say that anything over 500 is considered very high. Ours yesterday was around 1800. They expect it to be around 4000 by this time next week. Oh joy.
So for now, we’ll keep the windows closed and just enjoy looking out at the beautiful new greenery after a long, long cold winter. Pollen season only lasts a couple of weeks and then we’ll be out there enjoying the weather! So, since we’re still confined to the kitchen for now and can’t really fire up the grill because of allergies, I’m enjoying making new indoor recipes to share with you.
Pork loin has always been a favorite of ours, but I’ve typically struggled a bit with producing a moist one. It’s a bit on the lean side so there’s not much fat for it to baste in while it cooks. And up until now I had usually flavored my pork loin with a dry rub or maybe a bit of garlic and herbs. However, after trying this marinade just once, this is the way I’ll always do it from now on. The little pork loin cooked up so moist and juicy I couldn’t believe it! And the pan sauce – oh my goodness – how flavorful! You just have to try this one.
Start by making the marinade in a large resealable bag. Add the pork loin and marinate in the refrigerator for about 4 hours turning several times. Pork loin usually comes in about 4 pound pieces. I bought one of those and cut six nice center-cut chops from one half saving the other 2-pound half to roast for us. That was plenty for me and BeeBop for two meals and would easily serve four people. If you want to cook a full 4-pound loin, just double the marinade ingredients. Okay?
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium high heat. Remove the loin from the marinade and pat it semi-dry with paper towels. Set the marinade mixture aside for later. Sear the loin on all sides, including the ends, in the hot skillet. Set the skillet aside and keep it for later as well.
Place the seared loin on a rack in a shallow pan. Add a little chicken broth to the pan and cook for 30-40 minutes or until the internal temperature is 160 degrees. Using an instant read thermometer is the best way to get good results from roasting any cut of meat, I think. I can never gauge by touch like some cooks can, so I trust my thermometer to tell me when it’s ready! The last thing you want is an overcooked pork loin. Can you say tough and dry. So, when that temperature gets to 160, go ahead and remove your pork loin from the oven. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
During the last 15 minutes of cooking time, bring the reserved marinade to a rolling boil. Lower the heat but keep it at a slow boil for ten minutes. Note: If you intend to use a marinade which has been in contact with raw meat in a finished recipe, you must bring it to a strong boil and maintain that heat for 10 minutes in order to kill any bacteria that may have transferred from the meat. This is true whether you’ve marinated chicken, beef, or pork. It’s safe to use after boiling, but do not skip that step!
Put the skillet that you seared the loin in back over medium high heat. Add any pan drippings and the additional 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Stir to loosen any cooked bits from the bottom of the pan.
Pass the boiled marinade through a fine meshed strainer into the skillet. Stir together with the stock and pan drippings. Bring to a low boil. Add the butter and stir until melted.
Slice the loin in about 1/2” thick slices. Drizzle with the pan sauce.
Enjoy!
Yields 4
Lean pork loin marinated in a flavorful blend and roasted until succulent and juicy.
5 minPrep Time
40 minCook Time
45 minTotal Time
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup lower sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tblsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tblsp. chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tsp. dry mustard (recommended: Coleman’s)
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 lb. pork loin
- 1 cup chicken broth
- Any drippings from cooking the loin
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or water
- Strained marinade
- 2 tsp. butter
Instructions
- Combine the first 9 ingredients to create the marinade in a large resealable bag. Add the pork loin and marinate for about 4 hours turning several times.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium high heat. Remove the loin from the marinade and pat it semi-dry. Reserve the marinade mixture. Sear the loin on all sides, including the ends, in the hot skillet. Set the skillet aside and keep it for later.
- Place the seared loin on a rack in a shallow pan. Add the chicken broth to the pan and cook for 30-40 minutes or until the internal temperature is 160 degrees. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- During the last 15 minutes of cooking time, bring the reserved marinade to a rolling boil. Lower the heat but keep at a slow boil for ten minutes.
- Put the skillet that you seared the loin in back over medium high heat. Add any pan drippings and the additional 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Pass the boiled marinade through a fine meshed strainer into the skillet. Stir together with the stock and pan drippings. Bring to a low boil. Add the butter and stir until melted.
- Slice the loin in about 1/2” thick slices. Drizzle with the pan sauce.
Notes
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Other pork loin recipes you might enjoy from around the internet:
- Simply the Best Pork Loin Recipe Ever from Cooking by the Seat of Our Pants
- Herb Roasted Pork Loin from Budget Bytes
- Bacon and Garlic Encrusted Pork Loin from The Hungry Mouse
- Fig Stuffed Roast Pork Loin from Sugar and Spice by Celeste
- Sage and Garlic Rubbed Pork Loin from The Meaning of Pie
- Roast Pork Loin with Apples from Juls’ Kitchen
What I was up to…
- One year ago: Candied Pecan Cheese Braid
- Two years ago: Pear Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
- Three years ago: Ziti Bake
- Four years ago: Pasta with Sausage and Leeks
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