Roasted Pork Loin With Parsley-Shallot Sauce

Want a quick, relatively healthy, but really nice meal? Look no further than Ellie Krieger’s roasted pork loin with parsley-shallot sauce. Joseph cooked the pork while I prepared the roasted cauliflower (yes, I know I got the easy part).

Joseph used Thomas Keller’s technique of searing the pork before putting it in the oven to get a perfectly cooked, succulent, tender pork loin with a nice, browned, caramalized exterior. Searing the meat and finishing it in the oven shortens the overall cooking time and makes for a more appealing appearance and texture. I can’t stand a dry piece of meat and this meat was so moist that even when I microwaved the leftovers for lunch the next day it was still perfectly juicy.

Roasted Pork Loin with Parsley-Shallot Sauce
Adapted from Ellie Krieger’s The Food You Crave

Serves 8

2 cloves garlic, mined
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves or 1 teaspoon dried sage
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (2 1/2-pound) center cut boneless pork loin, trimmed of all visible fat
canola oil
kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup Parsley Shallot Sauce, recipe follows

Parsley Shallot Sauce (Yields 1/2 cup)
1 1/2 cups lightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped shallot
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Use a fork to mash the garlic and salt together with until it forms a coarse paste. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl and stir in the oil, fresh herbs and freshly ground pepper.

Heat some canola oil in a large skillet. Season the pork with kosher salt and pepper and sear in the pan, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Rub the garlic-herb paste all over the pork.

Transfer the pork to a roasting pan and roast until the internal temperature reaches 135 or 140 degrees, about 20 minutes. Transfer the roast to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve the pork on the diagonal into 1/2 to 3/4 inch-thick slices and serve with the sauce.