Roast This!

Number two on my list - roasted pork loin! I have to preface this entry with the fact that I am very intimidated by cooking proteins (meat, poultry, fish). As much as I love meat and fish, I typically stick with simple recipes that I cannot royally screw up. However, I usually end up cooking things too long, which I suppose is better than the thing still talking, but, no one likes a dry piece of chicken :(

I was recently inspired by a gift from my Mom (Gretl) - a meat thermometer! After I recommitted to writing on my little blog, I purchased a loin of pork on sale (woot!) and thought I would try it out after our glorious win over the Jags Sunday. I thought: Worst comes to worst, I feed the loin to Lily - she will eat anything.

I bing'd a simple recipe for roasted pork which included the following:
1. Olive Oil
2. Sea Salt and pepper
3. Dried rosemary
4. KITCHEN STRING

So, in my typical hurried fashion, I seasoned my loin up nice and good and as I went to seer the sides, the entire thing fell apart on me. Oof. I failed to notice that I needed kitchen string to tie the thing together.

I wasn't about to give to up so I improvised and snagged some dental floss. I know, sounds grasth, but in the end you never would have known! I remembered how B-foot Contessa ties up her loins and gave it whirl. It was by no means simple, but it worked!

After searing the meat on both sides, I placed it on a lined pan and popped it into a 350 degree oven. Cooking time suggested 1 hour and 20 minutes. I checked it after 30 and it was moving along nicely. After about 50 minutes, I decided to test my new tool and shoved it into the center of the loin hoping for a 160 temp read. To my dismay it read 190! I overcooked it... surprise, surprise. I immediately turned everything off and let the thing rest (and continue to cook, oof). After it was cooled I sliced into it and it wasn't as terrible as I thought. Slightly over cooked, but realllllly delicious! Or, maybe I have just become accustomed to dry meat? Either way, I consider it a success on the first try.

I obviously had way too much for one person, so I froze some and enjoyed leftovers the second night with some Swiss cheese and dried apricots (really good combo)! See photo above.

Best of luck with all of your protein adventures.

Ciao.