Herb-Roasted Pork Loin with Gremolata
There’s nothing that makes me feel more like a real adult than when I make a roasted anything. I don’t know why. (Side note, I’m not the only one withImpostor Syndrome when it comes to basically everything, right? RIGHT??)
Maybe it’s because when I first learned to cook, I was too intimidated to make anything other than sautéed veggies or pasta. Maybe it’s because I remember my parents making fabulous roasts ALL THE TIME and was worried about measuring up. I don’t know. It took me a while to experiment with different foods, especially when I was just starting out with my own kitchen in college. But, as what often happens with experience, I got over my worries of inadequacy a long time ago, and roasted meats are now some of my favorite dinners to make. (That’s become especially true with an active toddler, because anything I can stick in the oven and set a timer for—instead of standing over a stove while chasing away grabby little hands—is a game changer.)
This recipe for Herb-Roasted Pork Loin with Gremolata is so good that I make it once a month. After pulsing rosemary, garlic, fennel seeds, olive oil, and salt in the food processor, the mixture gets massaged all over the pork. I tie the pork in three places, stick it onto a sheet pan, and then pop it into the oven for 40 minutes. Following a short period of resting, the roast is ready to serve. The result is an aromatic pork loin that’s slightly floral, wonderfully garlicky, and salted to perfection. Plus, it’s tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside thanks to that beautiful rub. It’s lovely when paired with a little couscous and roasted veggies, and it’s even better with a drizzle of classic gremolata.
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Herb-Roasted Pork Loin with Gremolata
-recipe by Giada De Laurentiis
Ingredients:
Roast:
2-3 pound boneless pork loin roast (I like the center cut)
¼ cup fresh rosemary
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
Gremolata:
1 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup olive oil
Directions:
Remove the pork from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Using a small knife, make 10 1-inch-deep incisions in the fatty side of the pork loin. Set on a baking sheet.
Preheat oven to 400°. In the bowl of a food processor, add rosemary, garlic, fennel seeds, and salt. Pulse until the ingredients are roughly chopped. Drizzle olive oil and pulse to combine. Using your hands, rub the mixture all over the pork, allowing it to settle into the cuts you made with your knife. Tie the pork in three places (sides and center) with butcher’s twine, and the place the sheet pan in the oven to roast until it reaches 145°, about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, add parsley, lemon zest, and lemon juice to a clean food processor. Pulse until roughly chopped. Add salt, pepper, and olive oil, then pulse to combine. Pour the gremolata into a gravy boat and set aside.
When the roast is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for several minutes before slicing. Serve with the gremolata drizzled on top.
