Monday, August 10, 2009


Roasted Pork Loin with Marsala Wine Sauce
I made this dish for a wedding rehearsal dinner last weekend. It was really exceptional. First I bought the loin at Schubert's, a local packing plant in Millstadt. His products are locally grown on small farms, so finding a good pork product is three quarters of the battle, and grocery store pork usually doesn't measure up to a good local butcher.
For the pork:
1 whole boneless brined pork loin-Mine were about 6 pounds each, but you can buy smaller ones).
Salt and pepper to generously cover the roast
Place the roast fat side up on a roasting rack and season with the salt and pepper.
Many cooks are often intimidated by roasting large pieces of meat, but this is really one of the easiest. First, I brined the loins (I roasted two loins for 40 people-there was a second fish entree as well) over night in a solution of 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 gallon of water. Brining always ensures a juicy roast. I like to start roasting at a high temperature 450 degrees for ten minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees and cook to an internal temperature of 155. Start temping the roast after 30 minutes it will probably take from 45 minutes to just over an hour depending on the size of your roast, a good thermometer is the best way to judge for doneness. Remove the pork from the oven and let the roast rest for at least 8 to 10 minutes before carving. The internal temperature will continue to rise, hopefully not too much above 160 degrees.
Slice and serve with Marsala Wine Sauce.
For the Marsala Wine sauce:
3 cups of really rich chicken stock
1/2 cup minced shallot
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cups sweet Marsala wine-it's important to find a good imported one I think
Salt and pepper
Corn starch slurry to thicken about 3 tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup cold water.
Bring the stock, shallot, mushrooms, and wine to the boil, simmer for about 10 minutes, season, and thicken the sauce with the slurry.
This is a really simple voluptuous sauce, but it will only be as good as the stock you make and the wine you purchase-no skimping.

No comments: