Roast Pork Loin with Sweet Potatoes and Cilantro Sauce
By America's Test KitchenPublished on March 23, 2011
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
PORK AND POTATOES
½ cup sugar, for brining½ cup table salt, for brining (see note)3 pound boneless pork loin roast (1 loin), trimmed and tied at 1 ½-inch intervals (see illustrations below)1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon Ground black pepper 3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 6 small), peeled, quartered, and cut into 2-inch chunks3 tablespoons vegetable oil ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepperCILANTRO SAUCE
2 bunches cilantro, stem ends trimmed (about 2 ½ lightly packed cups) (see note)½ cup olive oil (see note)4 teaspoons juice from 1 lime 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)½ teaspoon sugarBefore You Begin
A 1/4-inch-thick layer of fat on top of the roast is ideal; if your roast has a thicker fat cap, trim it back accordingly. To use kosher salt in the brine, see related How to Cook for conversion information. If the pork is "enhanced" (see related How to Cook for more information) skip step 1, don't rinse the pork in step 2, and season the roast with salt in step 2. 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.
Instructions
- Dissolve the sugar and 1/2 cup salt in 2 quarts water in a large container. Submerge the pork in the brine, cover, and refrigerate for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the roast from the brine and rinse. Pat the roast dry with paper towels and season with the coriander, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Toss the sweet potatoes with the oil and cayenne, season with salt and pepper to taste, and spread into a large roasting pan. Lay the pork on top of the potatoes. Roast the pork and potatoes until the center of the pork registers 140 to 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 50 to 70 minutes, turning the roast over halfway through roasting.
- Pulse all the ingredients together in a food processor until the cilantro is finely chopped, 10 to 15 pulses, scraping down the bowl as needed. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. (The sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.)
- Transfer the pork to a carving board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees and continue to roast the potatoes until nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Slice the pork 1/4 inch thick and serve with the potatoes and cilantro sauce.
for the pork and potatoes
for the cilantro sauce
Yield
Serves 6Ingredients
PORK AND POTATOES
CILANTRO SAUCE
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
PORK AND POTATOES
CILANTRO SAUCE
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
PORK AND POTATOES
CILANTRO SAUCE
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For a simple cilantro sauce to use in our Roast Pork Loin recipe, we pulsed cilantro, olive oil, garlic, lime juice, and sugar in a food processor until the cilantro was minced but still retained some texture. Brining the pork kept the meat juicy, and rubbing the loin with a spice rub gave the pork’s exterior color and flavor. Our best results came when we cooked our Oven-Roasted Pork Loin in a moderate oven until it was almost at the desired temperature. It finished cooking as it rested. For a side dish, we roasted sweet potatoes in a hotter oven on the same baking sheet while the pork rested.
Before You Begin
A 1/4-inch-thick layer of fat on top of the roast is ideal; if your roast has a thicker fat cap, trim it back accordingly. To use kosher salt in the brine, see related How to Cook for conversion information. If the pork is "enhanced" (see related How to Cook for more information) skip step 1, don't rinse the pork in step 2, and season the roast with salt in step 2. 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.
Instructions
- Dissolve the sugar and 1/2 cup salt in 2 quarts water in a large container. Submerge the pork in the brine, cover, and refrigerate for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the roast from the brine and rinse. Pat the roast dry with paper towels and season with the coriander, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Toss the sweet potatoes with the oil and cayenne, season with salt and pepper to taste, and spread into a large roasting pan. Lay the pork on top of the potatoes. Roast the pork and potatoes until the center of the pork registers 140 to 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 50 to 70 minutes, turning the roast over halfway through roasting.
- Pulse all the ingredients together in a food processor until the cilantro is finely chopped, 10 to 15 pulses, scraping down the bowl as needed. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. (The sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.)
- Transfer the pork to a carving board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees and continue to roast the potatoes until nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Slice the pork 1/4 inch thick and serve with the potatoes and cilantro sauce.
for the pork and potatoes
for the cilantro sauce
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