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French-Style Pot-Roasted Pork Loin with Marsala and Mushrooms

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 4, 2011

Time

2 hours, plus 20 minutes resting

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

French-Style Pot-Roasted Pork Loin with Marsala and Mushrooms

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces6 garlic cloves, sliced thin¼-¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth ½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed2.5 pound boneless center-cut pork loin roast (1 roast), trimmed1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon sugar 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced1 onion, chopped fine⅓ cup marsala wine 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Before You Begin

We strongly prefer the flavor of natural pork in this recipe, but if enhanced pork (injected with a salt solution) is used, reduce the salt to 2 teaspoons (1 teaspoon per side) in step 3. The pork can be prepared through step 3, wrapped in plastic, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. For tips on "double-butterflying," see step-by-step below.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add half of garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl and refrigerate while preparing pork.
  2. Microwave ¼ cup broth and porcini in covered bowl until steaming, about 1 minute. Let sit until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain mushrooms through fine-mesh strainer lined with coffee filter, reserve liquid, and chop mushrooms.
  3. Position roast fat side up. Insert knife one-third of way up from bottom of roast along 1 long side and cut horizontally, keeping knife level with first cut and stopping ½ inch before edge. Open up flap. Keeping knife parallel to cutting board, cut through thicker half of roast, keeping knife level with first cut and stopping about ½ inch before edge. Open up this flap. If uneven, cover with plastic wrap and use meat pounder to even out. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt evenly over both sides of loin (½ tablespoon per side) and thoroughly rub into pork until surface is slightly tacky. Sprinkle sugar evenly over inside of loin and then spread with cooled toasted garlic mixture. Starting from short side, fold roast back together like business letter and tie with twine at 1-inch intervals. Sprinkle tied roast evenly with herbes de Provence and season with pepper.
  4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add roast, fat side down, and brown on top and sides (do not brown bottom of roast), 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to large plate. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining tablespoon oil, cremini, and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened and browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in remaining sliced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in Marsala, thyme, bay leaf, and chopped porcini, and cook for 30 seconds. Return roast, fat side up, to pot; place large sheet of foil over pot and cover tightly with lid. Transfer pot to oven and cook until pork registers 140 degrees, 50 to 90 minutes (short, thick roasts will take longer than long, thin ones).
  5. Transfer roast to carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. While pork rests, sprinkle gelatin over porcini soaking liquid and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf from jus. Pour jus into 2-cup measuring cup and, if necessary, add chicken broth to measure 1¼ cups. Return jus to pot and bring to simmer over medium heat. Whisk softened gelatin mixture, remaining 1 tablespoon butter, parsley, and lemon juice into jus and season with salt and pepper to taste; remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Slice pork into 1/2-inch-thick slices, adding any accumulated juices to sauce. Serve pork, passing sauce separately.
French-Style Pot-Roasted Pork Loin with Marsala and Mushrooms

French-Style Pot-Roasted Pork Loin with Marsala and Mushrooms

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

2 hours, plus 20 minutes resting

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
¼-¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed
2.5 pound boneless center-cut pork loin roast (1 roast), trimmed
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
1 onion, chopped fine
⅓ cup marsala wine
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
¼-¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed
2.5 pound boneless center-cut pork loin roast (1 roast), trimmed
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
1 onion, chopped fine
⅓ cup marsala wine
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
¼-¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed
2.5 pound boneless center-cut pork loin roast (1 roast), trimmed
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
1 onion, chopped fine
⅓ cup marsala wine
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

Enchaud Perigordine is a fancy name for what’s actually a relatively simple French dish: slow-cooked pork loin. But given that American pork is so lean, this cooking method leads to bland, stringy pork. To improve the flavor and texture of our center-cut loin, we lowered the oven temperature (to 225 degrees) and removed the roast from the oven when it was medium-rare. Searing just three sides of the roast, rather than all four, prevented the bottom of the roast from overcooking from direct contact with the pot. Butterflying the pork allowed us to salt a maximum amount of surface area for a roast that was thoroughly seasoned throughout. And while we eliminated the hard-to-find trotter (or pig’s foot), we added butter for richness and sprinkled in gelatin to lend body to the sauce.

Before You Begin

We strongly prefer the flavor of natural pork in this recipe, but if enhanced pork (injected with a salt solution) is used, reduce the salt to 2 teaspoons (1 teaspoon per side) in step 3. The pork can be prepared through step 3, wrapped in plastic, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. For tips on "double-butterflying," see step-by-step below.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add half of garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl and refrigerate while preparing pork.
  2. Microwave ¼ cup broth and porcini in covered bowl until steaming, about 1 minute. Let sit until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain mushrooms through fine-mesh strainer lined with coffee filter, reserve liquid, and chop mushrooms.
  3. Position roast fat side up. Insert knife one-third of way up from bottom of roast along 1 long side and cut horizontally, keeping knife level with first cut and stopping ½ inch before edge. Open up flap. Keeping knife parallel to cutting board, cut through thicker half of roast, keeping knife level with first cut and stopping about ½ inch before edge. Open up this flap. If uneven, cover with plastic wrap and use meat pounder to even out. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt evenly over both sides of loin (½ tablespoon per side) and thoroughly rub into pork until surface is slightly tacky. Sprinkle sugar evenly over inside of loin and then spread with cooled toasted garlic mixture. Starting from short side, fold roast back together like business letter and tie with twine at 1-inch intervals. Sprinkle tied roast evenly with herbes de Provence and season with pepper.
  4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add roast, fat side down, and brown on top and sides (do not brown bottom of roast), 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to large plate. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining tablespoon oil, cremini, and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened and browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in remaining sliced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in Marsala, thyme, bay leaf, and chopped porcini, and cook for 30 seconds. Return roast, fat side up, to pot; place large sheet of foil over pot and cover tightly with lid. Transfer pot to oven and cook until pork registers 140 degrees, 50 to 90 minutes (short, thick roasts will take longer than long, thin ones).
  5. Transfer roast to carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. While pork rests, sprinkle gelatin over porcini soaking liquid and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf from jus. Pour jus into 2-cup measuring cup and, if necessary, add chicken broth to measure 1¼ cups. Return jus to pot and bring to simmer over medium heat. Whisk softened gelatin mixture, remaining 1 tablespoon butter, parsley, and lemon juice into jus and season with salt and pepper to taste; remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Slice pork into 1/2-inch-thick slices, adding any accumulated juices to sauce. Serve pork, passing sauce separately.

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