Garlic-Rosemary Crusted Pork Loin Roast

Here at the farmhouse, I do lots of baking and daily meal preparation but when it comes to large cuts of meat the man of the house is pressed into action.  Typically he likes to take his meat outside where it is either grilled or barbecued.  Given the epic snowfall we've had this winter grilling and smoking are out of the question until we can get into the yard without waders (who knew fly fishing equipment would ever come in so handy?).  This recipe was adapted from Giada diLaurentiis's Pancetta-Wrapped Pork Roast.


You'll Need:

8 large garlic cloves
1 Tb fresh rosemary leaves (or 1 tsp dried rosemary), finely minced
1 Tb olive oil
4 pound tied boneless pork loin roast*
salt
pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 lb bacon

We ended up with a monster 6 pound roast from Costco and upped our garlic, rosemary, and olive oil 50%.

Getting Started:

Blend the garlic, rosemary, thyme, and oil in a small food processor, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until the garlic is minced.  A mortar and pestle will also do the trick if you mince the garlic beforehand and sprinkle a little salt in to get things moving.

Sprinkle the pork roast generously with salt and pepper (don't forget the ends).  Spread garlic mixture evenly over the tied pork roast.  

Drape uncooked bacon over the roast with slices slightly overlapping.  

Place the pork in a roasting pan.  Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

Now You're Cookin':

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix together broth and lemon juice and pour about 1/2 cup of broth mixture into the roasting pan. 

Add more broth and wine to the pan juices every 20 minutes.  Roast the pork until a meat thermometer inserted into the center registers 145 degrees F for medium-rare, about 1 hour.

Transfer the pork to a cutting board. Tent with aluminum foil and let stand for 10 minutes.  Pour the pan drippings into a glass measuring cup and spoon off any fat that rises to the top.

Using a large sharp carving knife, cut the pork into 1/4-inch-thick slices and serve with the pan juices.