Roast Pork Loin with Cilantro Sauce
SERVES 6
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS To take our roast pork dinner from ordinary to extraordinary, we took a hint from Caribbean cuisine, which adds bright, lively notes to pork in the form of herbs, garlic, and citrus, usually combined in a sauce. For our own potently flavored sauce, we started by pulsing cilantro, olive oil, and garlic in a food processor until the cilantro was minced but still retained some texture. Fresh lime juice added much-needed acidity, but we really hit the jackpot when we swapped the lime juice for Rose’s Sweetened Lime Juice. This bartender’s staple added a nice citrusy punch and sweet flavor to our sauce. As for the pork, rubbing it with cumin prior to cooking it gave it warm spice notes and stayed true to the flavor profile of our dish. A moderate oven kept the meat from drying out during roasting, ensuring rosy, tender slices of pork. This sauce uses two entire bunches of cilantro, including the stems. Do not substitute extra-virgin olive oil for the regular olive oil because it will impart a bitter flavor to the sauce.
|
1 |
(3-pound) boneless pork loin roast |
|
2 |
teaspoons ground cumin |
|
½ |
cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil |
|
2 |
bunches fresh cilantro |
|
2 |
garlic cloves |
|
4 |
teaspoons Rose’s Sweetened Lime Juice |
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Set wire rack inside rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Trim pork, tie at 1½-inch intervals with kitchen twine, and pat dry with paper towels. Season pork with cumin, salt, and pepper.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown pork well on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer pork to prepared wire rack and roast until pork registers 140 degrees, 40 to 60 minutes, turning roast over halfway through roasting.
3. Trim cilantro stems and mince garlic. Pulse cilantro, garlic, remaining ½ cup oil, and lime juice in food processor until cilantro is finely chopped, 10 to 15 pulses, scraping down bowl as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Transfer pork to carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. Cut pork into ¼-inch-thick slices and serve with cilantro sauce.