Fig-Glazed Pork Loin with Roasted Potatoes and Bacon
SERVES 4
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS This one-pan meal has it all—it’s simple, elegant, and flavorful. After microwaving chopped bacon to render its fat, we tossed it with red potatoes for a robustly flavored side dish. Brushing the pork with bacon fat added flavor and moisture, and helped the seasoning—we liked sweet, aniselike ground fennel—adhere to the roast. To ensure that our halved potatoes became nicely browned and crisp, we placed them cut side down on the baking sheet with the pork. For a final flourish, we brushed the hot pork roast with fig jam; while the pork rested, the jam melted into a sweet glaze. We prefer to use small red potatoes measuring about 1 inch in diameter in this recipe, but you can substitute larger red potatoes, cut into ¾-inch chunks. Using a nonstick baking sheet helps the potatoes crisp more; a regular baking sheet can be used but the potatoes won’t be as crisp. You can substitute orange marmalade or caramelized onion jam in this recipe if desired.
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4 |
slices bacon |
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2 |
pounds small red potatoes |
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1 |
(2- to 2½-pound) boneless pork loin roast |
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1 |
tablespoon ground fennel seeds |
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¼ |
cup fig jam or preserves |
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Fresh chives |
1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Chop bacon and microwave in bowl until it is slightly shriveled and fat has rendered, 1 to 3 minutes. Reserve 1 teaspoon bacon fat. Halve potatoes, toss with remaining bacon fat, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Trim pork, pat dry with paper towels, and brush with reserved bacon fat. Combine fennel seeds, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and rub evenly over pork. Lay roast in center of nonstick baking sheet. Lay potatoes, cut side down, around pork and scatter bacon pieces over potatoes. Roast until pork registers 140 degrees, 30 to 45 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through roasting.
3. Transfer pork to carving board, brush with fig jam, and let rest for 15 minutes. Continue to roast potatoes and bacon until potatoes are browned and bacon is crisp, about 8 minutes. Cut pork into ½-inch-thick slices. Mince 2 tablespoons chives, toss with roasted potatoes and bacon, and serve with pork.