Garlic Herb Pork Loin Roast

Our dinner last night was definitely a fall inspired menu.  There is something about a rainy day and comfort food that go together so perfectly.

Menu

Garlic Herb Pork Loin Roast

Mashed Potatoes

Acorn Squash
Baby Arugula Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes, Point Reyes Blue Cheese and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Apple Pie

I had the apple pie filling ready to be poured into the pie crust and placed in the oven.  We however had no room so this is going to have to be made later this week. 

Pork Loin Roast

Whisk together the following ingredients to make the marinade:

9 cloves garlic, grated

¼ cup of rosemary leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon sage, chopped

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard with white wine

¾ cup organic apple juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon of Makers Mark Bourbon

2 tablespoon olive oil

Place boneless pork loin roast (mine was 2.22 lbs) in a zip lock bag and add marinade for 5 hours.

In a Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sear the pork roast on both sides until it is browned (approximately 5 minutes on each side). Add the remaining marinade and bring to a boil.  Scrape up any of the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.

While the pork is searing, prepare the following:

Peel 20 pearl onions (place in boiling water for approximately 3 minutes, cut the top and the peel should come right off).

1 Macintosh apple, peeled, cored and diced

1 Bosc pear, peeled, cored and diced

Add the pearl onions, apple and pear to the Dutch oven. Add 3 teaspoons of brown sugar to the Dutch oven and bring marinade back to a boil.  Place top on the Dutch oven and put in the oven on 350 degrees for 45-1 hour.  Be sure the internal temperature of the roast reaches 145 degrees.

Acorn Squash

Cut Acorn squash in half and scoop out all of the seeds in the middle. Place upside down in a shallow baking dish in approximately an inch of water. Cook on 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes.  You should be able to easily run a spoon through the squash to scrape the inside.  Flip the squash so that the inside of the squash is face up.  Add a small amount of butter and some brown sugar and put back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes.

Mashed Potatoes

Clean 6-7 red potatoes, quarter and place in a pot of water. Add a pinch of kosher salt.  Bring to a boil. Potatoes are ready when you can they can be cut with a fork.  Drain and add back to the pot.  Begin mashing with a potato masher.  Add ¼ cup of skim milk.  Continue to mash and add 1 tablespoon of sour cream and 1 tablespoon of butter.  Add a bit of kosher salt and approximately 2 teaspoons of Montreal steak seasoning.  Continue to mix until they are the consistency that you like.  I prefer a little lumpier of a mashed potato but if you can also mix with a hand mixer if you prefer a smoother texture.

This meal was rated 4 asparagus spears