Mustard Fennel Pork Loin With Cumberland Pan Sauce Recipes

ROAST LOIN OF PORK WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• With a mortar and pestle, or in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, grind together the garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and thyme leaves. Add the mustard. Spread the mixture over the loin of pork and allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut the fennel bulbs in thick wedges, cutting through the core. Toss the fennel, carrots, potatoes, and onions in a bowl with the olive oil, melted butter, salt, and pepper to taste. Place the vegetables in a large roasting pan and cook for 30 minutes. Add the pork loin to the pan and continue to cook for another 30 to 50 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the middle of the pork reads exactly 138 degrees. Remove the meat from the pan and return the vegetables to the oven to keep cooking. Cover the meat with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Remove the strings from the meat and slice it thickly. Arrange the meat and vegetables on a platter. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve warm.

MUSTARD FENNEL PORK LOIN WITH CUMBERLAND PAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Roast pork:
• Discard center stem from bay leaves, then crumble leaves into grinder and pulse with kosher salt and fennel seeds until bay leaves are finely chopped.
• Discard any strings from loin if tied. Arrange loin, fat side up, lengthwise on a work surface. Holding knife horizontally, make a lengthwise cut about 1 1/2 inches deep along side of loin (do not cut all the way through). Open loin like a book, then pat dry inside and out. Rub 1 tablespoon mustard all over cut sides, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon seasoned salt. Close loin and tie crosswise at 1-inch intervals with string. Rub olive oil evenly over roast, then rub with remaining mustard and sprinkle with remaining seasoned salt, pressing lightly to help adhere. Oil roasting rack, then transfer pork, fat side up, to rack set in roasting pan and marinate, loosely covered and chilled, at least 12 hours.
• Let pork stand at room temperature 30 minutes before roasting.
• While pork comes to room temperature, put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.
• Roast pork 25 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 325°F and continue to roast until thermometer inserted diagonally 2 inches into center of meat registers 145°F, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer pork to a platter (reserve roasting pan) and let stand, uncovered, 25 minutes.
• Make sauce while pork stands:
• If there is fat in roasting pan, skim all but 1 tablespoon. Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add 1/2 cup water and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Add Port and boil 1 minute. Add orange and lemon juices, jelly, ginger, and salt, and cook, whisking, until jelly is dissolved. Whisk together remaining tablespoon water and cornstarch in a cup, then add to pan and boil, whisking, 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in butter, then pour sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
• Discard string from pork. Slice pork and serve with sauce and cracklings.
• *Available at some supermarkets, some specialty foods shops, and Niman Ranch (866-808-0340; nimanranch.com).