Herb Roasted Pork Loin with Port Wine Sauce Reduction

              The holiday season has descended upon us, which means we will be hosting and celebrating indoors alot. Hello dinner parties! If you need a fancy dinner party recipe my Herb Roasted Pork Loin is the perfect dish! Whether it’s a promotion dinner, posh dinner with friends, or holiday dinner, this dish is sure to impress.

       The Cut

For this recipe I used a 4-pound cut of boneless pork loin. While pork loin has a similar name to pork tenderloin, they are rather different. In addition to being two different cuts of pork, tenderloin is a narrower and leaner piece of boneless meat. Pork loin on the other hand is a bit wider, can be boneless or bone-in, and is a pretty affordable cut. Before seasoning your pork loin, be sure to trim excess fat and pat dry.

Can they be used interchangeably? Sort of.  This recipe seasoning blend can be used for both cuts of the same size. However, the cooking time for tenderloin should be reduced. Due to its smaller size and width, tenderloins would easily dry out if cooked for the same length of time as pork loins.

 

Trussing your Pork Loin

              Before seasoning, I trussed my pork loin or tied my pork loin using twine. While tying your pork loin is not absolutely necessary, I would recommend doings so. Tying your pork loin, or any meat for that matter, helps keep the shape of the meat and, if stuffed, helps keep your meat tidy. In this case, un-typed pork loin tends to spread and widen in shape while cooking. To get that nice rounded and distinct shape, tie your roasted meat with twine.

No idea how to tie a roast? Yeah, I didn’t either. I used this tutorial for a step by step process on how to easily tie a roast.

   

           The Herbs

   My herb roasted pork loin incorporates both dried herbs and a bit of fresh herbs for a flavor packed blend. To make the dry rub, mix all of the dried spices in a small bowl and mix well. I like to stir and mix for at least a minute or two so that all my spices are evenly blended. Trust me, nothing worst than taking a big bite out of a piece of meat that has a dominant salt flavor, gross. Again, blend your spices well. After creating the dry rub, pat the seasoning blend on all sides of the pork loin. Top with a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and pop in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes at 375, flip then bake for additional 30 minutes at 400.

            Port Wine Reduction Sauce

              Reduction sauces are created by cooking a liquid, some type of fat, and additional flavor ingredients over heat for a period of time until some of the liquid evaporates leaving a concentrated and slightly thicken sauce.  Reduction sauces add a touch of elegance, flavor, and aesthetic to roasted meats and dishes. The base of our reduction sauce is Ruby Port wine, you can use your favorite brand. Reduction sauces can differ in thickness depending on the length of time allotted to cook. I wanted my sauce a bit on the thinner side but feel free to reduce to your preference. One pro tip for creating reduction sauces is the use of COLD butter. That’s right, you want to use cold butter, gradually whisking in the butter one Tbsp. at a time. Once sauce is reduced, remove rosemary sprig and drizzle over sliced pork loin. The sauce is also great drizzled over  mashed potatoes!

 

I adapted my port wine sauce recipe from The Modern Proper.

 

My herb roasted pork loin with port wine sauce reduction would be the perfect addition to your next dinner party. Your guest are sure to love the harmonious flavors of the spices with  the pork and the added hint of complexity that the port wine reduction offers. I served my roasted pork loin with sautéed garlic asparagus and my garlic- parmesan mashed potatoes.

I would recommend pairing this dish with Port wine, Pinot Noir, or a bold Zinfandel
Servings: 10 yield(s)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 60 mins
Total Time: 70 mins
Ingredients
    Main Ingredients
  • 4 lb pork loin
  • 2 garlic cloves (minced )
  • 1/2 tsp dried minced onion
  • 1 tsp rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 6 fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
    • Port Wine Reduction
  • 1 cup ruby port wine (your favorite brand )
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 tbsp butter (cold )
  • 1 shallot (chopped)
  • 1 fresh rosemary sprig
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In a small bowl blend minced garlic, dried minced onion, cayenne pepper, dried rosemary, dried thyme, dried oregano, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and ¼ tsp black pepper. Mix well, set aside.
  3. Trim and pat dry pork loin. Using butchers twine, truss the meat.
  4. Generously spread the blend of spices on all sides of the pork loin.
  5. Top with 6 sprigs of rosemary
  6. Bake for 30 minutes at 375.
  7. Flip the pork loin, then bake for an additional 30 minutes at 400.
  8. After flipping the roast, start Port Wine reduction.
  9. In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium high heat.
  10. Once heated, add scallops. Cook until translucent, approx. 5 minutes.
  11. Add wine, black pepper, and rosemary. Cook until wine volume has decreased by half.
  12. Slice butter into 4 even slices.
  13. Reduce heat and gradually add each slice of cold butter. Whisk continuously.
  14. Allow the wine mixture to cook over medium- low heat until all butter melted. Remove from heat.
  15. Remove rosemary sprigs.
  16. Once pork loin is cooked to doneness, remove from oven. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before cutting. Slice and serve warm.
  17. Drizzle port wine sauce reduction over sliced pork loin and enjoy!
Recipe Notes

Essential Tools:

Twine

Deep Casserole dish

Cutting board

2 Knives ( one for trimming)

Chopping board

Small sauce pan

Measuring spoon: ¼ tsp., 1/2 tsp., 1 tsp.

Measuring cups: 1 cup