So I suggested this roast loin of pork that I made for a New Year's Eve dinner with friends.
It's the same idea as the roasted chicken recipe we started with - the vegetables on the bottom, the roast on top. In other words, the whole meal is in one pot. I served it with a simple green salad and bread.
It's a great family supper for a Sunday, but it's nice enough to serve guests. The house smells great, and you can enjoy a cocktail while the oven does all the work.
And, as roasts go, pork is one of the bargains, especially compared with beef. I bought a lovely three-pound pork roast, enough to feed six people, for about $8.
Roast Loin of Pork With Fennel
Makes 6 servings
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 3-pound boneless pork loin, trimmed and tied
3 small fennel bulbs, tops removed
10 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced on the diagonal
10 small potatoes, quartered
2 onions, thickly sliced
4 tablespoons good olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. With a mortar and pestle, or in the bowl of a small food processor, grind together the garlic, salt, and thyme. Add the mustard and combine. Spread the mixture over the loin of pork and allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cut the fennel bulbs into thick wedges, slicing through the core. Toss the fennel, carrots, potatoes, and onions in a roasting pan with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
4. Roast the vegetables in the oven for 30 minutes. Add the pork to the pan and continue to cook 30 to 50 minutes longer, until a meat thermometer inserted into the middle of the pork reads 138 degrees. Remove from the oven, cover, and allow the roast to rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Remove the strings from the meat and cut in thick slices. Arrange the meat and vegetables on a platter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties (Potter, 2001)
Per serving: 588 calories, 65 grams protein, 50 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams sugar, 18 grams fat, 166 milligrams cholesterol, 1,554 milligrams sodium, 12 grams dietary fiber.
Contact food editor Maureen Fitzgerald at 215-854-5744 or mfitzgerald@phillynews.com. Follow her blog at www.philly.com/mydaughter;on Twitter: @mydaughterskit.
