Herb-Roasted Pork Loin With Garlic Roasted Potatoes

Today I decided to take on the pork loin. You may have noticed that my heart leans towards pasta, so I thought it might be a good idea to try a meal without it. Tonight's meal is herb-roasted pork loin with garlic roasted potatoes and salad. On a side note, the roast I got was actually boneless and two roasts rather than the large bone-in one. It was an accident, but I think cooks a little faster, so it worked out. On another side note, the potatoes took a little longer than the 20 minutes the recipe said - I'd count on 35-40 minutes or crank the heat up (that's what I ended up doing).

The Final Plating

There is seriously nothing on this earth as wonderful smelling as a bowl of fresh cut herbs and garlic:

Yummy Fresh Herbs And Garlic!

The Roasts Ready To Go Into The Oven

Ingredients
4 large cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons crushed fennel seeds
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bone-in pork loin roast, about 5 pounds
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, halved and sliced
1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Using a chef's knife, very finely chop together the garlic, rosemary, and sage. Transfer to a small bowl, add the fennel seeds, season with salt and pepper and mix well. Make slits 1/2 inch deep all over the pork roast and insert some of the mixture into each slit. Rub the roast with the remaining seasoning, then rub with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place the meat in a roasting pan just large enough to hold it.

Roast the meat for 1 hour. In a bowl, toss the onion slices with the remaining olive oil and scatter them around the meat. Continue to roast until thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast away from the bone registers 155 degrees or the meat is pale pink when cut into at the center, about 1 1/4 hours longer. Transfer to a warmed platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Meanwhile, pour off most of the far in the roasting pan and place the pan over medium-low heat. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up and browned bits from the pan bottom. Simmer until the sauce is slightly reduced.

Carve the roast and arrange on a warmed platter. Spoon the pan sauce over the pork and serve at once.

And, here's the recipe for the garlic roasted potatoes - they're super easy and really yummy:

Ingredients
1 1/2 pound Yukon gold or other roasting potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the potatoes into 1 inch chunks. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Scatter the potato chunks and the garlic in a single layer on the pan. Sprinkle with the rosemary. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Toss gently to combine the ingredients, then spread out evenly.

Roast the potatoes, stirring 1 to 2 times, until the skins are crisp and browned and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve at once.