Roast Pork Loin with Garlic and Rosemary

For Easter luncheon, since it was just family, I imagined an all-American Sunday supper sort of meal -- pot roast, baked chicken, macaroni and cheese. Despite the lack of color, which really gives credence to the slogan of pork being the other white meat, the roast pork loin was quite juicy and flavorful. I cut half a dozen slits on each side of the pork loin and shoved garlic and rosemary into each slit so that they could flavor the meat while it was baking. Since pork loin is very lean, I left the fat on and baked it fatty side up. I figured it was far better for guests to not eat the fat than to have dry pork.

Leftovers were great thinly sliced for a sandwich or served with a simple salad.





Roast Pork Loin with Garlic and Rosemary

For a 4-lb pork loin, you'll need:
4 lb pork loin
4 tsp salt
12 rosemary sprigs
6 garlic cloves, sliced in half

Trim excess fat from the pork loin if necessary. Then measure out 1 tsp of salt per pound of meat and salt the pork loin accordingly. Set aside for an hour to let the salt marinate the pork loin.

Making sure they're evenly spaced, cut half a dozen one inch deep slits onto each side of the pork loin and place half a clove of garlic and a sprig of rosemary into each slit.



Repeat on other side and place the pork loin fatty side up in a pan. I used my clay baker, which has a lid, if you don't have one, just cover with aluminum foil.



Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 90 minutes. If you'd like the pork loin to be browner, uncover after 60 minutes and check every 15 minutes afterward for doneness.



Let the pork loin rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes to redistribute the juices before slicing.



I served the roast pork loin with Baked Chicken with Salt, Pepper, and Lemon with roasted vegetables, Macaroni and Cheese, and Chinese Crackled Tea Eggs.



Enjoy!

Some other pork recipes:
Buta No Kakuni (Japanese Braised Pork)
Char Siu/Xa Xiu (Chinese/Vietnamese Barbecued Pork)
Chinese Deep-Fried Pork Chops with Spicy Salt  
Cochinita/Puerco Pibil (Mexican Slow-Roasted Pork) 
Daeji Bulgogi (Korean Spicy Pork)
Suon Kho Xa Gung Toi Ot (Vietnamese Braised Pork Chops with Lemongrass, Ginger, Garlic, and Chilies)
Suon Kho Xi Muoi (Vietnamese Braised Pork Chops with Preserved Plums)
Thit Heo Kho Cai Chua (Vietnamese Braised Pork with Pickled Mustard Greens)
Thit Heo Kho Cu Cai Trang Cu Sen (Vietnamese Braised Pork with Daikon Radish and Lotus Roots)
Thit Heo Kho Dau Hu (Vietnamese Braised Pork with Tofu)
Thit Heo Kho Mit (Vietnamese Braised Pork with Jackfruit)
Thit Heo Kho Trung (Vietnamese Braised Pork with Eggs)
Thit Suon Kho Ngu Vi (Vietnamese Braised Spare Ribs with Five-Spice)
Thit Suon Nuong (Vietnamese Grilled Pork Chops)  

*****
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