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One-Pot Pork Loin en Cocotte with Kale, Shallots, and Mustard

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 11, 2020

Time

1¾ hours

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

One-Pot Pork Loin en Cocotte with Kale, Shallots, and Mustard

Ingredients

1 (2½- to 3-pound) boneless center-cut pork loin roast, trimmed and tied at 1½-inch intervals1 tablespoon herbes de Provence Salt and pepper 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 pound shallots, peeled and quartered1 cup chicken broth 1 pound kale, stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

Before You Begin

This recipe works best with a pork roast that is about 7 to 8 inches long and 4 to 5 inches wide; we prefer a blade-end roast. We like to leave a ¼-inch-thick layer of fat on top of the roast; if your roast has a thicker fat cap, trim it back to be about ¼ inch thick. You can substitute 1 teaspoon each dried thyme, dried rosemary, and dried marjoram for the herbes de Provence in this recipe. You will need a Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe.

Instructions

  1.  Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add pork and brown on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes; transfer to large plate.
  2.  Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and shallots to pot and cook over medium heat until shallots are softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to simmer. Stir in kale, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until bright green and wilted, about 5 minutes.
  3.  Off heat, nestle browned pork and any accumulated juices into pot. Place large sheet of aluminum foil over pot and press to seal, then cover tightly with lid. Transfer pot to oven and cook until pork registers 140 degrees, 35 to 55 minutes.
  4.  Remove pot from oven. Transfer pork to cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest 20 minutes. Meanwhile, continue to simmer kale over medium-high heat until tender and liquid has nearly evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in butter and mustard, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cover to keep warm.
  5.  Remove twine from pork and slice against grain into ¼-inch-thick slices. Serve with kale.
One-Pot Pork Loin en Cocotte with Kale, Shallots, and Mustard
Photography by Daniel J. van Ackere. Styling by Marie Piraino.

One-Pot Pork Loin en Cocotte with Kale, Shallots, and Mustard

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

1¾ hours

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 (2½- to 3-pound) boneless center-cut pork loin roast, trimmed and tied at 1½-inch intervals
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound shallots, peeled and quartered
1 cup chicken broth
1 pound kale, stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

Ingredients

1 (2½- to 3-pound) boneless center-cut pork loin roast, trimmed and tied at 1½-inch intervals
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound shallots, peeled and quartered
1 cup chicken broth
1 pound kale, stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

Ingredients

1 (2½- to 3-pound) boneless center-cut pork loin roast, trimmed and tied at 1½-inch intervals
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound shallots, peeled and quartered
1 cup chicken broth
1 pound kale, stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

Why This Recipe Works

Never ones to mess with simplicity, we decided to give this basic pork loin roast just a touch of modern flair. Introducing kale to the pot seemed like a good start—the pork’s juices would flavor the greens as they cooked. Seasoning the pork with herbes de Provence delivered a heady dose of flavors and fragrances all at once. After browning the roast and softening some shallots, we built up our cooking liquid, boosting the rendered juices and residual fond with chicken broth. We gave the hearty kale a head start, allowing it to wilt before adding in the browned roast. We removed the pork when it had reached 140 degrees, letting it come to temperature while resting on the cutting board. We used that time to finish the kale, letting the cooking liquid evaporate and infuse the greens with flavor. The addition of butter and mustard finished off this saucy, rich accompaniment to the juicy herbed pork.

Before You Begin

This recipe works best with a pork roast that is about 7 to 8 inches long and 4 to 5 inches wide; we prefer a blade-end roast. We like to leave a ¼-inch-thick layer of fat on top of the roast; if your roast has a thicker fat cap, trim it back to be about ¼ inch thick. You can substitute 1 teaspoon each dried thyme, dried rosemary, and dried marjoram for the herbes de Provence in this recipe. You will need a Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe.

Instructions

  1.  Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add pork and brown on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes; transfer to large plate.
  2.  Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and shallots to pot and cook over medium heat until shallots are softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to simmer. Stir in kale, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until bright green and wilted, about 5 minutes.
  3.  Off heat, nestle browned pork and any accumulated juices into pot. Place large sheet of aluminum foil over pot and press to seal, then cover tightly with lid. Transfer pot to oven and cook until pork registers 140 degrees, 35 to 55 minutes.
  4.  Remove pot from oven. Transfer pork to cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest 20 minutes. Meanwhile, continue to simmer kale over medium-high heat until tender and liquid has nearly evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in butter and mustard, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cover to keep warm.
  5.  Remove twine from pork and slice against grain into ¼-inch-thick slices. Serve with kale.

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