This pork dish was made for family celebrations! Make sure not to skip the brining your meat: brining the pork results in a tender and juicy roast.
Roast Pork Loin
Prep time 20 minutes
Cooking time 1 hour
Serves 10
1 1/4 kilos pork loin, skin on
1 cup water
1/4 cup salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cloves garlic, peeled, lightly crushed
2 bay leaves
1 liter water, cold, or as needed
1 On a cutting board, deeply score the skin of the pork loin roast (or ask your butcher to do this for you).
2 Place salt and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring until salt dissolves. Pour into a container with a lid big enough to contain the pork. Pour in enough cold water to fill half the container. Add pepper, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Set aside until cool.
3 Place pork in now-cooled brine solution until submerged. Brine at least overnight to a maximum of 2 days.
4 On a cutting board, deeply score the skin of the pork loin roast. Place in now-cooled brine solution until submerged. Brine at least overnight to a maximum of 2 days.
5 Once ready to roast, preheat oven to 350°F. Drain pork loin and pat dry. Discard brine. Place pork in a roasting pan. Roast, basting, for 1 hour or until a meat thermometer inserted into its middle reads 155°F. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes.
6 Before serving, remove all but about 2 tablespoons of fat from the drippings in the roasting pan. Scrape any browned bits at the bottom of the pan, and stir to dissolve into drippings. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly, adding more salt, pepper, thyme leaves, or water as needed. Transfer to a gravy boat or serving bowl, and serve on the side, drizzling a spoonful over roast slices as needed.
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