Pretty, Pretty, Pork Loin

Pork loins are tasty. Pork loins are also lean so you have to be a little careful or they can turn out dry and flavorless. They are also really cheap but with just a bit of fancy knife work and some aggressive rubbing technique, you can make them look ritzy!

Pork Loin Roast Recipe

So good you'll lick your elbows!

You will need:
Pork Loin..................................2 Kg block.
Paprika powder.....................2 Tbsp.
Mustard Seed........................2 Tbsp.
Brown Sugar..........................2 Tbsp.
Sea Salt...................................2 Tbsp.
Black Pepper.........................1 Tbsp.
Taco & Chili Spice..............a pinch or two, maybe more.
Olive Oil....................................1 Tbsp.
A metal box that can produce and trap heat in a temperature controlled environment, or just a normal oven.
A really long tongue if you want to try and lick your elbow.

Step 1. Prepare your pork loin and all your ingredients for the rub.

Step 2. Grind up the mustard seeds (fresh ground taste MUCH better than pre-ground, same with pepper). And mix all the ingredients together with just enough olive oil to make it "pasty". Our Taco & Chili spice is very spicy so if you don't like spicy, don't add too much. Paprika, even though it looks spicy, isn't. It is mostly just a pretty red color.

Step 3. Carve a "checkerboard" pattern into the fat cap. Be sure to cut all the way into the meat a couple of milimeters. This will get the flavor of the rub deep into the meat, and it will make for a pretty, pretty, piece of pork.

Step 4. Now it's time to aggressively lay your hands on the meat. Take the rub and massage it into the meat, make sure you get it down into the cuts that you've scored. It's good to whistle while you do this, it keeps the pork distracted so that it doesn't clench-up when you rub it in tender places.

Step 5. Wrap and wait. You can skip this step but if you wrap the pork tightly in saran wrap, then let it sit for at least 30 minutes (overnight would even be OK), the meat will draw the flavors inside and come out better.

Step 6. Roast away! Place your pork on a roasting rack (this will make sure it cooks evenly) and set your cooking apparatus for approximately 200 degrees C. Cook for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours, there is a huge difference in cooking speeds between ovens, a meat thermometer is the best way to know when your roast is done. Take it out when the internal temperature reaches about 63 degrees C. Then allow it to rest for about 10 minutes.

Step 7. Devour. Now is a good time to dig-in up to your elbows.

This is enough to feed 8 - 10 people, or to provide a real feast for 5 or 6. If this is too big for you you can also use a 1 kg pork loin, if it's too small, go for the whole loin. This rub will work well on pretty much any piece of pork, except for pork purchased in stores other than www.TheMeatGuy.jp.  If you try and use this recipe on other pork, you will catch something nasty.