Pork is my weakness. More specifically, Roasted Spiced Pork Loin is my weakness. Living with two vegetarians, and being the only person in our home that eats meat, I don’t get to prepare meat dishes too often, so when I do, it has to be something I absolutely love and something that I can eat in its entirety (or at least before it sits in the refrigerator for too long.)
During one of my bi-weekly visits to the grocery store, I found this lovely cut of pork loin and just had to have it – the fact that pork was on sale that week helped push me in the right direction.
When it comes to pork loin, there’s only two ways I like to prepare it; the first is on an open grill in the middle of summer, and the second is the oven-baked method which pretty much takes all of the guess work out of the cooking process. A slow roasted pork loin is the way to go! It allows the flavours from the sauce to seep into the meat and creates a sticky, delicious coating that begs to be mopped up and devoured!
I’ve often heard John.e speak about his mom’s pork dinners. She always served pork with applesauce, which Dear Reader, I cannot comprehend. How does one pair pork with applesauce, or for that matter, how does one eat applesauce at all? It’s just one of those things that I cannot bring myself to eat – I think it’s the texture.
Anyway, whenever I prepare pork at home, John.e will always come into the kitchen and repeatedly inhale the aroma. He loves the smell of pork. And, without fail, I always offer him some, but he politely declines and stays true to his vegetarian diet. #oneday
Either way, none of this pork went to waste. I ate the whole thing! #notkidding One last thing, if you like this post, you must check out my Honey Garlic Baked Pork Bites
Roasted Spiced Pork Loin
Pin Recipe Save Recipe Print RecipeIngredients
- 2 pounds pork loin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Use clean paper towels to pat the pork loin dry. Season the loin with salt and pepper.
- Add the olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, set the pork loin in the pan and sear it on all sides until browned. This should take about 2 minutes per side. Once seared, turn off the heat and transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Roast the pork for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, whisk together the remaining ingredients and set aside.
- At the 30-minute mark, remove the pork from the oven and spoon the sauce mixture over top. Return the pork to the oven for 30 more minutes, basting once.
- Remove from oven. Check to see that the internal temperature of the pork is at least 145 degrees F. Allow pork to rest, loosely covered with foil, for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Kristin says
Hey Byron, I found this recipe on Pinterest. I’m hoping to make this on Christmas Eve (tomorrow), I have an 8 pound center cut whole pork loin. Do you think the bake time is the same?
Happy Festivus
-Kristin
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hi Kristin, thanks for stopping by! The pork loin I used in the recipe was about two pounds, so an additional six pounds of meat might need some extra cooking time. As it is, this recipe has a longer cooking time than most pork loin recipes out there, but that’s because I like to keep the pork covered for as long as possible to keep it moist. Depending on the length versus girth of your pork loin, I would certainly adjust the cooking time. When in doubt, always refer to the professionals in terms of safe internal temperatures when cooking. Here in Canada, a safe internal temperature for pork loin is 160 degrees Fahrenheit. A quick Google search tells me that the USDA recommends the same internal temperature. My recommendation would be to get yourself a good meat thermometer to ensure perfect doneness. Otherwise, if you’re not too concerned about the presentation, slice into it and take a look at the texture – is it firm, is there any pink-ish flesh remaining, is it starting to dry out? Cooking is sometimes all about your own senses and personal tastes. I’m sure your Christmas Eve pork dish will be fabulous! Happy Holidays, Kristin!
Marilyn Driscoll says
I was a little nervous cooking such a small roast for such a long time because, in the past, I found a pork roast could be awfully dry if cooked too long. But, I followed directions and am so pleased I did. The flavour was wonderful and the meat was very moist and so tender it almost sliced itself! This is another of Byron’s recipes that is going in my “keeper” file.