ROASTED PORK LOIN AT ITS FINEST

So You Think You Can Cook

In preparation for a new year I tend to look back on the past year and identify things I want to repeat and things I wish never happened.  I’m sure you have done or are doing the same.  This holds true for both my personal life as well as my business life.  As a restaurant owner in Downtown Visalia, I and my neighbor restaurants have seen first hand the effects of our economy in 2008 and are adapting to it.  At my restaurant Cafe 225, we added a full bar and eliminated breakfast service (Yes, I know it was a distinctive menu, and sadly missed by many of our regulars as well as my immediate family) and most recently I’ve been working on a redirection of the menus.  My motivation is two fold.  First, to bring my prices down and make for a more affordable dining experience and secondly to add bold flavors and items for guests to enjoy.

My recipe for this month reflects just that. It is a hearty bone in pork roast with a “Fresno seasoning blend.”  I’m calling it that because it resembles Pappy’s Choice Seasoning Blend.   I’ll share my recipe for the seasoning blend as it is wonderful on breakfast potatoes and grilled vegetables as well.

Slow roast the pork loin on your rotisserie until you have an internal temperature of 140-145 degrees.  Allow to rest covered with foil and the internal temperature will rise to 155 degrees and it will be moist and juicy.  I’m serving it with a medley of roasted vegetables including carrots, fennel, onion, potatoes and mushrooms. This can be prepared on a pan in the barbeque as well.   This is excellent as a main course especially on a cold Sunday evening.  The leftovers can be handled in a few ways.  My preference is to crock pot the pork with a bit of chicken broth for pulled pork sandwiches or this will make a great posole stew or soup.  Or you can remove from the bone and thinly slice the pork loin trimming off any fat as desired and make an awesome sliced pork sandwich; maybe add a smear of mango chutney or perhaps coleslaw to kick it up a notch.  I’d serve it on a hoagie bun.   Now these ideas are just my off the top suggestions for the leftovers and of course when in doubt ask your mother or Google it.

FRESNO ROASTED PORK LOIN with Roasted vegetable medley

SEASONING BLEND
2 parts Salt
1 part Pepper
½ part Sugar
2 parts Paprika
¼ part Basil
1 part Granulated garlic
¼ part Ground Thyme
¼ part Ground Rosemary

INGREDIENTS
One whole pork loin will serve 8 guests with leftovers

1 bone in pork loin (chine bone removed, this will allow you to cut down between the bones for each serving, otherwise you will need to remove the rib bones just prior to serving / carving.)
Seasoning blend to well coat entire loin
6-8 medium sized red potatoes (blanch till crisp tender, drain, chill and cut into 1 ½ in cubes
4 carrots, peeled and cut in ½ inch bias slices
2 fennel bulbs.  Cut in half then into ½ inch slices
2 medium red onions cut in half then into ¾ inch slices
32-40 medium sized mushrooms, washed
¼-½ cup olive oil
2 T seasoning blend

DIRECTIONS
Preheat barbeque/grill/ smoker, Skewer pork loin on rotisserie spit.  This may require that you run the rotisserie rod through the center of the pork loin. To achieve this it may be necessary to use a long boning knife to create a slit for the rod to enter.  Once securely attached to the rod, liberally season the pork loin with seasoning blend, and place on barbeque at a medium heat.  Place a drip pan below the roast or you will have flame ups.  And remember, you are using an indirect cooking method. In essence the barbeque is an oven with the piece of meat rotating and basting itself.  Next in a large mixing bowl add the cut vegetables, olive oil and seasoning blend and gently fold together until all are evenly coated in oil and seasoning.  Turn onto cookie sheets in preparation of oven roasting.  If your barbeque unit is large enough place in with the pork twenty to thirty minutes before the pork is done.  That way everything will be done at the same time.  Or you may have to use your kitchen oven at 350-400 degrees till the vegetables are tender and lightly browned on their edges.  Remember when it’s done- remove from the heat.

Meat thermometers are essential in cooking roasts for the simple fact that you just can’t tell if the meat is done to the desired temperature.  Probe the roast in the thickest part beginning at 30-45 minutes of cooking time.   You are looking for an internal temperature of 135-145 degrees.  Allow the roast to rest covered with foil and the internal temperature will rise to 155 degrees and it will be moist and juicy.  Offer the roast with your favorite salsa, or a pan dripping gravy and you are in for a treat.  Remember if you aren’t interested in cooking it yourself, just come on down and we’ll do it for you.  Wishing you a prosperous New Year.  Karl and staff at Café 225