Print

Roast Pork with Herb Rub

Prevent your screen from going dark

Makes 6 to 10 servings 1x

Time 1 1/2-2 hours, largely unattended

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herb leaves (like rosemary, oregano, or thyme) or 2 teaspoons dried
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 boneless pork loin roast (2 to 3 pounds), tied or untied
  • 1 1/2 cups dry white wine, chicken or vegetable stock, or water, or more as needed
  • 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces, optional

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 450°F. Combine the salt, pepper, herbs, sugar, and garlic in a small bowl; rub the roast all over with the mixture. Put the meat in a roasting pan and transfer to the oven. Roast, undisturbed, for 15 minutes.
  2. Lower the heat to 325°F and pour 1/2 cup of the wine over the roast. Continue to cook the roast, checking every 15 minutes or so and adding 1/4 cup of the remaining liquid to the bottom of the pan each time. Once the pork’s exterior has crusted a bit, start brushing the meat with these pan juices whenever you check on the roast.
  3. After 1 hour at the lower temperature, check the roast with a quick-read thermometer; insert it into the center in a couple different places to make sure you get an accurate reading. When the roast is ready is will read 140°F for medium rare. Remove and transfer the meat to a platter to rest (it will rise another 5 degrees as it sits).
  4. Put the roasting pan on the stove over 1 or 2 burners over medium-high heat. If there is at least about 1 cup liquid in it, leave it; if the pan is almost dry, add 1 cup liquid. Bring the juices to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the sauce is reduced to about 3/4 cup, stir in the butter if you’re using it.
  5. Slice the roast crosswise into slices as thick as you like and serve the slices drizzled with the sauce.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything: The Basics