Name: Toaster-Oven Maple-Brown Sugar Glazed Roast Pork Loin
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar; 1 tablespoon kosher salt; 1 (2½- to 3-pound) boneless pork loin roast , trimmed; 2 teaspoons ground coriander; 2 teaspoons paprika; ¼ teaspoon pepper; 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Why This Recipe Works

This unexpected and easy technique yields a tender, juicy pork loin—with a rich, clingy glaze packing pure maple flavor—that is big enough to serve six, right from your toaster oven. We used a boneless loin roast here because it has a good amount of fat and a lot of flavor. In the past the test kitchen has found that wet marinades rarely impart more than superficial flavor, but that salt can penetrate further for deeper seasoning, so we rubbed our roast with salt as well as sugar to encourage browning. Tying the roast into an even bundle helped it fit perfectly in our toaster oven, and placing the pork fat side down on a preheated small baking sheet produced a flavorful crust. Roasting and turning the pork to glaze the other side with maple syrup was beyond simple because our toaster oven was easily accessible at counter height. The final result: an impressive yet uncomplicated dinner of warmly spiced, perfectly moist pork.

Before You Begin

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 to ¼ inch thick. If the pork is enhanced (injected with a salt solution), omit salt in step 1. Before starting this recipe, confirm your toaster oven allows at least 2 inches of space between the pork loin and the top heating element.

Instructions

Combine sugar and salt in bowl. Rub pork with sugar mixture, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

Adjust toaster oven rack to lowest position, place aluminum foil–lined small rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine coriander, paprika, and pepper in bowl. Pat pork dry with paper towels, sprinkle with spice mixture, and tie at 1½-inch intervals with kitchen twine. Arrange pork fat side down in center of preheated sheet and roast for 30 minutes.

Remove sheet from oven. Flip and rotate pork and brush with maple syrup. Continue to roast until pork registers 135 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer pork to cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. Discard twine and slice pork ½ inch thick. Serve.