Roast Pork Loin with Apples
Herbes de Provence is a mixture of equal amounts of thyme, savory, marjoram, and oregano. It sometimes also includes some sage, rosemary, dried lavender flowers, and/or fennel seeds.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 8
- 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
- 4-pound pork loin, trimmed of fat and silver skin
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 large Golden Delicious apples, cored and cut into wedges
- ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 4 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Mix the salt, pepper, and herbes de Provence together and rub it into the meat. Add the butter and oil to a 9-quart Dutch oven, and bring to temperature over medium-high heat. Add the roast and brown it for 2 minutes on all sides, or for about 8 minutes.
Remove the meat from the pan and arrange the apple slices over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the apples with the sugar.
Nestle the meat on top of the apples. Arrange the potato wedges around the meat. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper to taste.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and baste the meat with the pan juices. Continue to bake uncovered for 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the roast is 150°F. Remove the roast to a serving platter and tent with aluminum foil; let rest for 10 minutes.
Slice the pork crosswise into 8 slices. Arrange the apples and potatoes around the roast. Ladle the pan juices over the roast.
Serve immediately, along with microwave steam-in-the bag Brussels sprouts or baby peas tossed with butter, a tossed salad with your choice of dressing, and dinner rolls.
Pan Size
The amount of air space between the food and the lid may add to the cooking time, but when in doubt, go bigger. It saves you the aggravation of having to move the ingredients to a bigger pot if the one you picked doesn't have enough room to hold all of the ingredients, and it prevents boil-overs in the oven.
