This Garlic and Herb-Crusted Pork Loin, inspired by Emeril Lagasse, goes great with my Pomegranate Raspberry Chipotle Sauce and Glaze. Christmas Eve is a perfect time to serve this dish because the red and green colors are so gorgeous and festive. I have also used the sauce to go with beef tenderloin on Christmas Day and it is absolutely delicious. The advantage of serving it with the pork loin is the whiteness of the pork makes a great backdrop to the red sauce.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pound pork loin/roast
  • 1 tablespoon fat that can be heated to high temp. (e.g. bacon fat, coconut oil or ghee)
  • 8 large cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
  2. Season the pork loin with about half of the salt and pepper. Heat a large, heavy gauge pan on medium-high, add 1 tablespoon of preferred fat to the pan and sear the pork on all sides until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
  3. In a food processor, combine the garlic, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Process until smooth. Add the olive oil and the remainder of the salt and pepper.
  4. Remove the seared pork from the pan and rub with the garlic/herb mixture.
  5. Roast until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the roast registers an internal temperature of 140 degrees F, 40 to 45 minutes. About five minutes before the pork is done you can spread some of the glaze on top.  Once the temperature reaches 140 degrees F remove it from the oven, tent it with foil to keep it warm and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
  6. Carve the pork into thick slices and arrange on a serving dish and drizzle with the sauce.
  7. Garnish with additional herbs or watercress.

This recipe serves 6-8 persons. I made the sauce the day before and then threw the garlic and herb-crusted pork loin together in record time. It really makes for a show-stopping dish that works well for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or any other time of the year.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas to all. Thanks for visiting!

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Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pound pork loin/roast
  • 1 tablespoon fat that can be heated to high temp. (e.g. bacon fat, coconut oil or ghee)
  • 8 large cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/22 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
  2. Season the pork loin with about half of the salt and pepper. Heat a large, heavy gauge pan on medium-high, add 1 tablespoon of preferred fat to the pan and sear the pork on all sides until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
  3. In a food processor, combine the garlic, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Process until smooth. Add the olive oil and the remainder of the salt and pepper.
  4. Remove the seared pork from the pan and rub with the garlic/herb mixture.
  5. Roast until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the roast registers an internal temperature of 140 degrees F, 40 to 45 minutes. About five minutes before the pork is done you can spread some of the glaze on top.
  6. Once the temperature reaches 140 degrees F remove it from the oven, tent it with foil to keep it warm and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
  7. Carve the pork into thick slices and arrange on a serving dish and drizzle with the sauce.
  8. Garnish with additional herbs or watercress.

 

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