Herb Crusted Pork Loin

This is one of my favorite ways to make a pork loin roast. I've made this recipe several times in the past; it's very easy to put together and delicious. Given that this recipe is my favorite pork loin application, I was quite surprised to see that I hadn't ever posted it here on the ol' blog. Very strange. I could have sworn that I had updated it here long ago, but I could not find it anywhere. Huh. Maybe I have amnesia??? Maybe there is a huge pork loin conspiracy afoot and it was secretly removed from my blog after I had posted it the first time??? Both scenarios are totally plausible. (No, I have not been drinking.)

Anyway, this is a Paula Deen recipe from waaaay back in 2007. I am typically not a Paula Deen fan, but she hit the ball out of the park with this one. (I think it's her blue hair and smoker's rasp that bothers me.)(Sorry, Paula fans...I'm sure she is a lovely woman.) I served our roast with some ooey-gooey Jen's Top Secret Cheesy Potatoes and steamed green beans. It was a perfect Sunday night dinner that felt really special, but did not require a lot of fuss to put together.

Herb Crusted Pork Loin
From: Paula Deen, 2007

Ingredients:
1 (4-pound) boneless pork loin, with fat left on
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil or 2 teaspoons fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

Directions:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

Place the pork loin on a rack in a roasting pan, fat side up. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. With your fingers, massage the mixture onto the pork loin, covering all of the meat and fat.

Roast the pork FAT SIDE UP for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 425 degrees F and roast for an additional hour.

Test for doneness using an instant-read thermometer. When the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F, remove the roast from the oven. Allow it to sit for about 20 minutes before carving. It will continue to cook while it rests.



The Result:
I should clarify something. The cook time on this dish is total 1 1/2 hours. Yes, that is a long cook time. However, that time is inactive on your part. It takes about 10 minutes of actual prep, and then you stick it in the oven and manage the temperature changes after the 1/2 hour cooking time mark. It is really easy, just time consuming. I just wanted to make sure to point that out, because the long cooking time caught me off guard the first time I made this roast.

With that said, it is a delicious roast. I have made it with both dried and fresh herbs, and it really doesn't make a whole lot of difference. Usually, I do make it with the dried herbs. I always have dried herbs on hand, so it's just hassle-free for me to go the dried herb route. Either way, it makes for a very special, traditional meal that is good enough for company. I highly recommend this recipe on a night that you don't mind dinner taking an hour and a half to cook. Trust me, it's worth the time!

Grandma's Beef Roast

My mom came to our house for quick overnight visit and decided to make my grandma's beef roast. I didn't remember this recipe until she started cooking it and the smell brought back happy food memories. It is pretty easy to put together, with really yummy results. We served our roast with some mashed potatoes and fresh green beans. I also made a quick gravy from the drippings. The whole meal was soooo homey and comforting! I forgot to take a photo of the finished dish, but I thought I could at least post the recipe so I have it recorded. I have another beef roast stored in my freezer, so I think I will attempt this dish on my own very soon (now that I know how).

Grandma's Beef Roast

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 2-4 lb. beef roast, tied
2 whole onions, peeled
salt and pepper to taste
onion and garlic powder to taste
3/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
water (Start with 2 cups, and add more if needed)
3 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of flour
reserved beef drippings

Directions:
Season beef roast with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder to taste. In a heavy bottom pot (make sure the pot has a tight fitting lid), brown beef roast on all sides in canola oil over high heat. Once roast is browned, secure whole peeled onions to top of roast with toothpicks. Deglaze pot with apple cider vinegar and reduce until almost all the liquid is gone. Add water and turn heat down to medium. Secure lid onto the pot and braise over medium heat for 1-2 hours, depending on the size of the roast (keep checking to make sure there is enough liquid in the pot. The water should come halfway up the roast. Add more during the cooking process if needed).

Once roast is finished cooking, remove to a cutting board and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Reserve drippings in a separate bowl and set aside. In the bottom of the same pot (now empty but still hot) melt butter over medium high heat. Then, sprinkle in flour once butter is melted. Combine butter and flour for a few minutes, until flour is starting to cook. Add beef drippings back into the pot, while whisking continuously over heat. Bring to boil. Reduce heat until mixture thickens to proper gravy consistency. Slice roast and onions and serve. Then, put the gravy in a bowl and serve over roast and mashed potatoes.

Claire's Pot Roast

My friend Claire is soaking up sun and sand in Myrtle Beach, and I must confess, my co-dependency is kicking in. I miss my buddy! I thought a good way to miss her less would be through making her pot roast recipe. Really, what says "I miss you, friend" better than a hunk o' beef. Sigh. I know she is having a great family vacations, but for selfish reasons, I want her to come home. The husband just doesn't get excited about cooking gadgets, gossip, and my day-to-day trivial observations like Claire does...it is just not the same.

Oh well. I am seeking comfort with my other friends. My mom and I had a busy morning at the zoo with some of my other cohorts today. It was nice to get out of the house and into the sunshine and fantastic weather. Then, after nap time today, we are off and running again to a MOMS Club meeting. Since I kinda had a full agenda today, I really needed an easy slow cooker meal to just throw in and forget about. (Okay...so maybe I am making this recipe for other reasons, too....not just because I miss Claire.) This pot roast recipe is super-easy and very delicious. I love that the meat juices and soup(s) make their own gravy, without any work on my part. All I have to do is make a couple of side dishes to finish the meal off. I think I will steam some brussel sprouts (ew!...not my favorite, but the hubby l-o-v-e-s them) and make either rice or potatoes to go with our roast. I need a starchy side that will soak up the yummy gravy, but I am totally not settled on what exactly I am going to make yet. I think it will all depend on what time I get back from my meeting this afternoon. Here is the link my previous post about Claire's pot roast. It smells so good, I cannot wait to have dinner.

Claire's Pot Roast

See!!!! Good and easy!!!! I heart this roast very much.

Claire's Pot Roast: Jen's Variation

I spent the morning standing in line for 3 hours so I could vote, but I was smart enough to think ahead for dinner. I put this pot roast recipe in the slow cooker this morning, before I left for the polls. See, sometimes I am lucid enough to plan ahead!
I love this recipe! It is so yummy and totally easy. I used to cook pot roast a little differently, but since Claire exposed me to this version I probably won't make it my way ever again. It is that good! I did put a small twist on it, as I did the last time I made it. Either way, it is fantastic and I am looking forward to an easy and yummy dinner tonight.

Claire's Pot Roast

Ingredients:
2-3 lb. chuck roast (I think that's the cut I was using)
3-4 potatoes, peeled and in chunks
4-5 carrots, peeled and in chunks
1 envelope onion soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Jen's Variation:
Add the following ingredients to the above recipe-
1 onion, diced into chunks
3 ribs of celery, cut into chunks
2 cloves of garlic, diced into pieces
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 Tablespoons of water

Directions:
Place cut potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, and garlic in the bottom of slow cooker. Pour small amount of water over veggies. Sprinkle top of veggies with salt and pepper. Place roast on top. Sprinkle onion soup over roast and vegetables. Pour can of soup over roast and vegetables. Cook on low 7-8 hours.

Jen's Green Chile Pork Roast

This is my husband's favorite dinner, bar none. He usually calls it "Green Chile Heaven on a Plate", because he loves it so much. We first discovered this dish at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants, as one of their 'specials'. We liked it so much, I decided to try and recreate it at home. This version is pretty darn close to the restaurant version, if I do say do my self. To my husband's dismay, I usually only make this once a year. The pork shoulder can be a pricey cut of meat at our local grocery store, so I wait until it goes on sale. Also, I don't want this meal to loose it's specialness. If I made it all the time, then it wouldn't be "Heaven on a plate" anymore.
It is kind of a pain to make, even with the use of my slow cooker. There are a lot of little steps, and it takes a full 8 hours to cook. Part of the cook time is on low and part is on high, so you have to stick around to switch it over. It is a really big cut of meat, so there is a ton of leftovers that need to be dealt with, as well. I think I am going to keep half of the meat separate so I can re-purpose it later, as another dish(possibly Sunday or Monday). There are potatoes already in it, so I don't need a starch component, and I think I may just skip the veggies tonight too. It is a lot of food, as it is. I figure I paid my dues last night by eating brussel sprouts (bleeach) so I deserve a veggie night off.

I should caution that this is really spicy. Not just spicy, but super-spicy. Light your hair on fire, spicy. Sweat and get light-headed spicy. I am not kidding...it is spicy! Luckily, my kid is just like his mother...he can eat spicy food like it is going out of style. I do usually tone his down a little by not putting the green sauce on it. He really just eats the meat and potatoes (which are spicy enough, let me tell you). We usually just serve this with a side of warm tortillas and some sour cream to make little soft tacos. It is so good, I cannot wait for dinner.

Jen’s Green Chile Pork Roast

Ingredients:
¼ cup of canola oil
1 pork shoulder (usually 4 pounds)
1 onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
4 cloves of minced garlic
1 large can of green chiles
1 small can of diced jalapeños
1 large can of green chile enchilada sauce
1 jar of hot salsa
1½ cups of chicken broth
4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon lime juice
2 Tablespoons of Mexican hot sauce (I use Tapatio)
1 chipotle chile, diced
1 Tablespoon of chipotle Adobo sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Spice Mixture:
Add 1 Tablespoon of each spice as follows:
Paprika
Cumin
Coriander
Cayenne Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder

For Sauce:
1 cup of milk
2 Tablespoons of corn starch or flour
2 tablespoons of sour cream
Crock pot liquid

Directions:
1) In a cast iron skillet, heat canola oil over high heat. Skillet should be really, really hot!
2) Season roast with salt and pepper on all sides.
3) Sear roast on all sides in cast iron skillet, until brown crust forms. Once brown on all sides, remove from skillet to a platter and set aside.
4) In a large capacity slow cooker combine chicken broth, ½ of spice mixture, diced onions, celery, garlic, green chiles, jalapeños, potatoes, lemon juice, lime juice, hot sauce, chipotle, Adobo sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. This should form a bed on the bottom of the slow cooker.
5) Add seared pork roast on top of other ingredients (directly on top of bed).
6) Sprinkle remaining spice mix over roast.
7) Pour jar of salsa over roast.
8) Pour can of enchilada sauce over roast (over salsa). Make sure meat is almost all the way submerged.
9) Cook on high for 6 hours. Then, switch to low for 2 hours. Total cook time should be 8 hours.

To Make Green Chile Sauce:
1) Remove roast, all potatoes, and veggies from slow cooker to a platter. No large chunks should be left in slow cooker. Keep slow cooker temperature on low.
2) In a separate bowl, mix 1 cup of milk, 2 heaping tablespoons of flour or corn starch, and 2 heaping Tablespoons of sour cream. Wisk together to combine thoroughly.
3) Add crock pot liquid to milk mixture, by ladleful to temper.
4) Once tempered, add entire mixture back to crock pot and whisk to thicken sauce.
5) Serve finished sauce over roast and potatoes, with warm tortillas.

Jen's Notes:
For a smoother sauce, you can blend it right in the slow cooker with an immersion blender (aka stick blender). Also, you can garnish this meal with sour cream, fresh guacamole, and/or diced tomatoes.



The Result:
Fantastic! The husband loved it. He was so excited that I made his favorite. I have a ton of leftovers, so I am going to morph them into tonight's dinner. What can I say, I like to keep the husband happy.