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Pork roast with herb crust and sherry pan sauce is an easy, satisfying meal that can be whipped up in a jiff. MANDI WRIGHT/DETROIT FREE PRESS Visit the Photo Place |
By Susan M. Selasky
Detroit Free Press
It's the time of the year for quick, easy and warmly satisfying meals.
Seasoning a beef or pork roast and tossing it in the oven or the slow cooker fits the bill. A classic set-it and forget-it meal, it can also feed a small gathering.
Recently, I picked up a boneless sirloin pork roast for just that reason. Another shopper commented that pork roasts are good because they are solid meat without a whole lot of fat. The sirloin roast is cut from the back of the loin area, so it is a bit leaner, yet hearty tasting. And, besides, the aroma of a nicely seasoned roast is comfort food at its best.
The roast came with netting around it, holding together two pieces of pork. You can leave it on and roast as is or you can remove the netting and cook the two pieces side-by-side.
Or, as I did with today's recipe, remove the netting, season all over with a rub mixture, and retie the roast using kitchen string.
The roast was a nice size--about 3 to 3 pounds, enough for six generous servings. And if you're not serving that many, it makes for great leftovers.
Pork roast takes to all kinds of seasoning and methods of cooking.
Whether you roast it in the oven or cook it in the slow cooker, you'll want to sear the roast first.
Most sources will tell you that searing seals in the juices. But a new book from Cook's Illustrated--"The Science of Good Cooking: Master 50 Simple Concepts to Enjoy a Lifetime of Success in the Kitchen" by the editors of America's Test Kitchen and Guy Crosby, PhD (America's Test Kitchen, $40)--says that's not true.
During testing, the authors discovered that searing helps develop flavor--not seal in juices.
"Searing meat adds flavorful crust, but it has nothing to do with juiciness," they said.
Today's recipe is seared first, making for a nicely browned and crisp crust. The outside of the meat is seasoned with a rub that also flavors a simple pan sauce made with sherry.
Make sure you let the roast rest before carving. The internal temperature will continue to rise and the meat will be tender and juicy.
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PORK ROAST WITH HERB CRUST AND SHERRY PAN SAUCE Prep: 15 minutes 1 (3-pound) boneless pork Directions: 1. Bring roast to room temperature 40 minutes before cooking. 2. For rub, in small bowl mix together 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic, salt, black pepper, sage, rosemary and thyme. 3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 4. Spread rub all over roast. Tie roast with kitchen string to hold together. 5. In Dutch oven or large oven-proof skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoons olive oil over medium to high heat. 6. Add roast, sear and brown on all sides until you have a crispy crust. 7. Add chicken broth or water to bottom on pot or skillet. Cover and place in oven. 8. Alternatively, place on rack in roasting pan, pour broth in bottom of pan, cover and place in oven. 8. Roast pork until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of roast registers 150 degrees (temperature will continue to rise while roast rests), about 1 to 2 hours longer for larger roasts. 9. Remove from oven, transfer roast to a platter. Tent with foil and allow roast to rest for 15 minutes before carving. 10. Meanwhile, set pot or skillet over medium heat, add sherry and bring pan juices to boil, scraping up any bits on bottom of pan. Cook about 2 minutes. Strain pan juices into bowl. 11. Slice roast, drizzle with pan juices and serve. Nutritional information per 6 ounce serving: 394 calories (43 percent from fat), 19 grams fat (1 gram sat. fat), 0 grams carbohydrates, 50 grams protein, 466 mg sodium, 146 mg cholesterol, 0 grams fiber |