Bay Leaf Crusted Pork Roast Recipes

PORK ROAST WITH THYME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• With a small knife, pierce top of roast. Force garlic slices into the cuts. Sprinkle the roast with salt and pepper. Place bay leaves in the bottom of the roasting pan, and set roast on top of bay leaves, fat side up. Mix vinegar and thyme in a small bowl, and pour over the top of the roast.
• Bake in the preheated oven 3 hours, or until an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) is reached. Using a baster or spoon, baste the drippings over the roast frequently while it is cooking. Let the roast rest for 10 minutes when done before slicing.

BAY-LEAF-CRUSTED PORK ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a chef's knife, finely chop garlic and bay leaves together. Gather into a pile; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons coarse salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper. Using the flat side of the knife blade, mash mixture into a paste. Set aside.
• On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss onions with 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Push onions to the edges of baking sheet.
• Place pork in center of sheet, fatty side up; rub top with remaining tablespoon oil, and press on garlic mixture, coating evenly.
• Roast, dabbing occasionally with pan juices, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in center of meat (avoiding bones) registers 140 degrees (temperature will rise 10 to 15 degrees as roast rests), 65 to 75 minutes. (If browning too quickly, tent loosely with aluminum foil.) Transfer roast and onions to serving platter; let rest, loosely covered with foil, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a food processor, blend parsley and mustard until smooth; season with salt and pepper.
• Cut roast into chops, and serve with mustard sauce.

CLASSIC PORK CROWN ROAST

Steps:

• Put the pork on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle all over with 1 tablespoon salt and several grinds of pepper; set aside.
• Put the fennel, allspice, whole peppercorns and juniper berries in a small skillet over medium heat and cook until the fennel begins to turn slightly golden, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer the toasted spices to a blender, add the bay leaf and blend until coarsely ground. Add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon salt and process until a coarse paste forms, about 1 minute. Spread the paste over the pork, making sure to get it into all the nooks and crannies; use a spatula to scrape up all the paste from the blender. Cover the pork with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
• When ready to cook the pork, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Put the pork on a rack set in a large roasting pan and cook for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 135 degrees F, about another 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, combine the sugar, sage, thyme, apples, onions and 6 tablespoons of the butter in a large bowl until well coated. Heat a large skillet over high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes. Add half of the apple and onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples and onions are dark golden all over but the apples are still firm, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and spread into a single layer to cool, using a heatproof spatula to scrape all the remaining sugar from the skillet over the apples and onions. Repeat with the remaining apple and onion mixture.
• Return the skillet to high heat and add the wine. Cook until syrupy and reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 4 minutes. Add the cider and cook until thickened and glossy, about 8 minutes; you should have about 1/3 cup of glaze. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and set aside.
• Once the pork reaches 135 degrees F, increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F and brush the pork all over with half the glaze. Return to the oven and cook for 5 minutes. Brush with the remaining glaze and continue to cook until the internal temperature registers 145 degrees F, about another 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and let rest for 30 minutes. Serve with the apples and onions.

HERB-CRUSTED PORK ROAST

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the ground mustard, herb seasoning, salt and pepper; rub over roast. In a large skillet, brown roast in 2 tablespoons oil. Place roast fat side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Brush top with Dijon mustard. Combine the bread crumbs, cheese, basil, thyme, rosemary, garlic and remaining oil; press onto roast. , Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours or until a thermometer reads 145°. Place on a warm serving platter. Let meat stand for 15 minutes before slicing. , Stir wine into roasting pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Pour into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook until reduced by half. Serve with roast.

BRINED PORK ROAST WITH PORT WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, combine the first 10 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from the heat; cool brine to room temperature., Place a 2-gallon resealable plastic bag inside a second resealable bag; add roast. Carefully pour cooled brine into bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible; seal bags and turn to coat. Place in a large bowl. Refrigerate for 18-24 hours, turning occasionally., Drain and discard brine; pat roast dry. In a small bowl, combine the oil, herbs and pepper; rub over pork. Place roast on a rack in a large shallow roasting pan. Pour water into pan. Bake at 350° for 1 hour 20 minutes or until a thermometer reads 145°., For sauce, melt butter in a large saucepan. Add shallots; cook and stir until tender. Stir in wine and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in the broth, vinegar and sugar. Cook, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until slightly thickened., Stir in the cream, thyme, salt, pepper and browning sauce if desired. Discard bay leaf. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened., Transfer roast to a serving platter. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with sauce.

MUSTARD-AND-HERB-CRUSTED PORK ROAST

Steps:

• Brine the pork: Combine 4 cups water, the salt, sugar, garlic, bay leaves, juniper berries, peppercorns and cloves in a large pot or wide Dutch oven (large enough to hold the pork). Heat over medium heat, stirring, until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add 8 cups ice cubes; stir occasionally until the brine is cooled.
• Make small deep cuts, about 2 inches apart, all over the pork and between the ribs using the tip of a paring knife. Add the pork to the pot and submerge in the brine; add more cold water if needed to completely submerge. Refrigerate overnight.
• Set a rack in a roasting pan and put the pan on the lowest oven rack; preheat to 325 degrees F. Remove the pork from the brine, pat dry and set aside to bring to room temperature. Remove 3 cups brine (along with the spices) to a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove the hot roasting pan from the oven and carefully stand up the pork on the rack with the chine bone down. Add the hot brine to the bottom of the pan. Roast until the fat is mostly rendered, about 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the crust: Pulse the panko, butter, scallion, parsley, thyme and juniper berries in a food processor until the herbs are coarsely chopped and the mixture is combined.
• Remove the pork from the oven and reposition so it is meat-side up; brush the top and sides with the mustard, then sprinkle with the panko mixture, patting to adhere. Return to the oven and roast 50 more minutes.
• Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and continue roasting until the crust is crisp and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 140 degrees F, about 20 more minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board and let rest 20 minutes before carving.

LOIN OF PORK WITH BAY LEAVES

Steps:

• In a small bowl mix the olive oil, garlic, salt, peppercorns, and crumbled bay leaves and rub the mixture all over the meat. Put the pork on a large dish or in a large plastic bag and cover the dish or tie up the bag and leave in the refrigerator if you've got steeping time; otherwise - if you're about to start cooking it - just leave it out.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a roasting pan with the onion. Strew over the onion 10 whole bay leaves. Place the pork, including its marinade, on top and the bones all around, if they fit and if you've got them. Roast in the oven for about 1 3/4 hours or to an internal temperature of 150 to 155 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, basting regularly.
• Remove the pork, scraping burnt bits off, to a plate or carving board and let it sit. On the stove at moderate heat, pour the wine and 1/2 cup boiling water over the bones, bay, garlic, and onion. Let it bubble up and reduce by about a third, and then remove the bones gingerly and strain the liquid contents into a saucepan. Heat, correct the seasoning, and add liquid as you like to make a good, thin, not-quite gravy.
• Carve the loin, put the slices on a big warmed plate, sprinkle with salt, and pour over a little of the juice-gravy, then tent with foil and leave in the turned-off oven while you eat the starter. It is a bit prinky, I know, but it will look fabulous if, when you take it out, you arrange, Napoleonically, some more bay leaves around the edges of the dish with the bay-scented pork.

GARLIC-ROASTED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Mash garlic to a paste with 2 tablespoons kosher salt using a mortar and pestle or side of a large heavy knife, then stir in oregano, vinegar, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon pepper.
• Pat pork dry. Using a small sharp knife, cut a wide pocket at large end of roast to separate skin from fat, leaving skin attached at sides and stopping before roast narrows to bone.
• Make 1-inch-deep slits in pork under skin and on all meaty sides, twisting knife slightly to widen openings, then push some of garlic mixture into slits with your fingers. Rub any remaining garlic mixture over roast (not skin). Wipe skin clean, then rub with remaining teaspoon kosher salt (to help it crisp). Transfer pork to a glass or ceramic shallow dish and marinate, covered and chilled, at least 8 hours.
• Put pork, skin side up, in a flameproof roasting pan, discarding marinade, and bring to room temperature, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Cover pork with parchment paper and then tightly with foil and roast 2 1/2 hours. Discard foil and parchment, then add 1/2 cup water to pan and roast, uncovered, adding more water when liquid in pan evaporates (check about every half hour), until skin is browned and crisp and meat is fork-tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours more. Transfer to a cutting board or platter, reserving juices in pan, and let stand 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pour pan juices through a sieve into a fat separator or bowl and discard fat. Add 3/4 cup water to roasting pan and deglaze by boiling over medium-high heat (straddle 2 burners if necessary), scraping up brown bits, 1 minute, then add to pan juices along with enough water to bring total to 1 1/2 cups.
• Cut skin off roast pork. (If skin is not crisp, roast in a shallow baking pan in a 475°F oven until crisp, about 10 minutes.) Cut skin into serving pieces. Pull meat from roast in pieces using a fork. Serve meat with pan juices and pork skin.

PRIME RIB ROAST

Steps:

• Stir together crumbled bay leaves, sage, orange zest, salt, pepper and the oil in a mortar and pestle. Rub herb mixture all over the beef, coating evenly. Refrigerate, covered, overnight or up to 1 day. About 3 hours before you plan to cook the beef, remove it from the refrigerator. Place beef, fat side up, in a roasting pan and allow it to come to room temperature. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Cook beef for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into meat (away from bone) registers 115 to 120 degrees (for rare), about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes longer. Let rest 20 minutes.
• Slice meat away from ribs, cutting along the bones. Then, slice meat crosswise to desired thickness. Serve, garnished with whole sage leaves.