Bacon-wrapped Maple Pork Loin
From lunasea 16 years ago
- 85 minutes to make
- Serves 8
**NOTE: Don't be alarmed by the prep time - you're brining the pork for 8 to 24 hours and once you get it in the marinade, you don't have to babysit the pork. I found this recipe on Epicurious over a year or so ago and made it for a holiday meal. Read more It was so good, it deserves to be made and savoured throughout the year - not just for special occasions. It's an impressive meal to make for guests and I serve it with some garlic-sour cream mashed potatoes and an oven-roasted veggie like asparagus or brussels sprouts. Delightful meal. The maple syrup brings out the subtle sweetness of the bacon. Enjoy... See less
Ingredients
- For brining pork: shopping list
- 8 cups water shopping list
- 1/3 cup kosher salt shopping list
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (Grade B or amber) - can sub molasses here, but don't use blackstrap shopping list
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns shopping list
- 2 sprigs fresh sage shopping list
- 1 large garlic clove, smashed shopping list
- 1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf shopping list
- 1 (4- to 4 1/2-lb) boneless pork loin roast, trimmed shopping list
- **** shopping list
- For roasting pork: shopping list
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped shopping list
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage shopping list
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup (Grade B or amber) shopping list
- 16 bacon slices (about 1 lb) shopping list
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar shopping list
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch shopping list
- 1 teaspoon water shopping list
- **** shopping list
- Special equipment: an instant-read thermometer shopping list
How to make it
- Brine pork:
- Combine all brining ingredients except pork loin in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan and heat over high heat, stirring, until salt is dissolved. Pour brine into a deep 4- to 5-quart pot; cool to room temperature, uncovered, about 2 hours.
- Add pork to brine, making sure it is completely covered by brine, and marinate, covered and chilled, 8 to 24 hours. (8 hours is good - 24 hours of brining is even better)
- ****
- NOTE: I like to use my rack in the roasting pan for this recipe, so the bacon browns somewhat on the bottom of the roast. If you don't have a rack, see if a small cooling rack you have will fit inside your larger roasting pan instead. If you have neither, it will still work - just don't expect the bottom bacon (the tucked under the loin part) to get brown. The bacon will certainly cook, it just won't brown.
- Roast pork:
- Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
- Pat pork dry (discard brine) and remove any strings, then transfer to a roasting pan.
- Stir together garlic, sage, and 1 tablespoon syrup in a small bowl and rub all over pork.
- Lay bacon slices crosswise over loin, overlapping slightly, and tuck ends of bacon underneath loin.
- Roast pork until thermometer registers 140°F, about 1 1/4 hours.
- Stir together 1 tablespoon syrup and vinegar until combined. Brush vinegar mixture carefully over bacon slices and continue to roast pork until thermometer registers 150°F, about 10 minutes more.
- Remove from oven and let stand in pan 15 minutes.
- Transfer roast to a cutting board with a lip, reserving juices in pan, and let roast stand, uncovered, while making sauce.
- Skim fat from pan juices and discard, then transfer jus to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Stir together cornstarch and water and whisk into jus. Simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and stir in remaining tablespoon syrup.
- Serve pork with sauce.
- Makes 6-8 delicious portions.
The Rating
Reviewed by 10 people-
Excellent recipe! I am a pork lover, and cook pork quite often! Bacon does a miraculous "thing" with a pork loin. Wonderful.
rosemaryblue
in CollegeTown loved it
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Sounds absolutely wonderful! Like I say many times on this site, What time is dinner! I'm there. Your sides you serve with this sound like they really put this meal together! Great post.
kimmer
in Dunedin loved it
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Wonderful post.
cheryilyn
in Salem loved it
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