When cooking for a dinner, we want to scale it up a bit, and also be organized enough that we aren’t slaving away at the stove while company is there. Here’s a great pork recipe and some tips to get it to the table with little fuss.
We’ve taken a basic principal – a piece of breaded pork loin – and changed it up a bit to give a different look and a different texture. We also like to use things up that we have on hand, and in this case it was a loaf of Jody’s homemade bread. Not wanting this to go to waste, we turned the bread into a wonderfully soft and flavouful crust for a pork loin. The problem we have sometimes with something that may be ‘stuffed’ or ‘crusted’ is that when you carve a whole roast, a lot of that crust tends to fall off. So we’ve solved this problem by roasting the pork loin first, letting it rest, carving it and then adding a crust. It is then put on a baking sheet and popped in the oven for a final roast and reheat.
The pork loin can then be served with simple, creamy mashed potatoes. These can be mashed, covered and set aside for a good two hours before serving – simply reheat on low heat. Green beans, too, can be done ahead of time with just a little finishing at the end. Blanch the beans first, by dropping them into boiling, salted water and then immersing them in ice water after a couple of minutes. They will just need a last minute toss in a hot pan with some butter.
Cut pork loin so that you get 2 or 4 pieces in the shape similar to a pork tenderloin. So if it is one large piece, cut it in half lengthwise, and then cut each half lengthwise so that when you carve it each person gets a nice ‘square’ of pork;
Mustard and Bread Crumb Crusted Pork Loin Roast
Serves 8
Ingredients
- 4-lb boneless pork loin roast
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp whole grain mustard
- 2 cups soft breadcrumbs (use a blender or food processor to pulse stale bread to crumbs)
- A handful of chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme and parsley
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1/4-cup melted butter
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Season pork with salt and pepper, rub with a little oil and roast at 375°F on a rack until it reaches an internal temperature of 140°F. Let rest, covered, at least 20 minutes before carving; Carve 8 medallion-sized pieces. Pork should be a little pink;
Mix together crumbs, herbs, shallot, butter and salt and pepper;
Place pork pieces, cut side up on a baking tray; mix together mustards and slather each piece with a bit of mustard; press crumb mixture on top;
For the final roasting, place in a 375°F oven for about 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Serve immediately.
