Chermoula Marinated Pork Loin

Pork loin is all or nothing for me.  It’s either juicy, succulent, and full of delicious porky flavor, or it’s as dry and chewy as a hockey puck.  When done correctly, the loin is one of my favorite cuts of pork.  Tied and pan roasted, it makes for a roast as beautiful as it is tasty, perfect for a small dinner party.  But pork loin can be finicky.  Because it is relatively lean, it does have a tendency to dry out. And being pork, the loin needs lots of seasoning to be flavorful.

Before the pork loin goes anywhere near a pan, there are steps you can take to ensure that the final product will come out juicy.  First, get a high quality piece of pork.  Look for one in your butcher’s case that has good marbling, has most of its fat cap intact, and that still looks pink and fresh.  If the only pork loin you can find is vacuum sealed in plastic and labeled as “enhanced” pork (i.e., pork that has been injected with salt water), consider using this marinade on a nice pork chop instead.

Brining is an additional step you can take towards keeping your pork loin juicy.  I use a very basic brine for this recipe, because the pork loin is marinated after brining.  As an alternative recipe, try using the brine I call for in my Roast Chicken recipe.  Pan roast the loin as I do below and make a simple pan sauce with all of the delicious brown bits sticking the bottom of the skillet.  The end result would make a Frenchman proud.

Pork loin benefits from heavy seasoning and pairs great with big, intense flavors.  The chermoula marinade I use here – a potent North African marinade traditionally used to season vegetables – penetrates the pork with deep and complex flavors and imparts the loin with an attractive golden brown exterior when seared.

The chermoula calls for both fresh ginger and fresh turmeric.  You can substitute dried ground turmeric if you cannot find fresh, but the fresh ginger is essential. If you have never seen tumeric, it looks like small, orange fresh ginger that is as bright as a carrot when peeled and gets on everything it touches (see photos).  Grating the ginger, turmeric, onion and garlic on a Microplane grater or through the small holes of a box grater intensifies their flavors and will help to tenderize the meat.

Chermoula Marinated Pork Loin

Ingredients

1 boneless pork loin roast, 2-3 pounds

8 cups water
½ cup Kosher salt

1½ teaspoons cumin seeds
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
½ teaspoon red chile flakes
2 cloves garlic, grated
¼ cup grated yellow onion
½ teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh turmeric, or ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

2 teaspoons unsmoked Spanish paprika
Grated zest of ½ lemon
2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
finely chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

1. Trim the pork loin of any excess fat, but be sure to leave most of the fat cap intact. Tie the loin at one inch intervals with butcher’s twine, making sure to tie it very tightly so that the roast will maintain its shape during cooking.
2. Combine the water and salt in a large bowl and stir until the salt is completely dissolved. Add the trimmed and tied pork loin, cover, and refrigerate for 8-10 hours, or overnight.
3. Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Remove to the bowl of a spice grinder and add the peppercorns and chile flakes. Grind finely.
4. Transfer the ground spices to a small bowl and add the garlic, onion, ginger, turmeric, paprika, lemon zest, parsley, cilantro and two tablespoons of the olive oil.  Stir to combine.
5. Remove the pork loin from the brine and rinse under cold, running water. Dry thoroughly with paper towels.
6. Rub the chermoula all over the pork loin, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
7. The next day, pre-heat your oven to 325° F. Unwrap the pork loin and wipe most of the chermoula off with your hands. Allow to sit at room temperature for one hour to temper.
8. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the pork loin and sear on all sides until well browned, about 10 minutes.
9. Turn the pork loin so that the fat cap is on top, and then place the skillet in the oven. Roast until center of roast registers about 135 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 35 to 45 minutes.
10. Remove the roast to a plate. Cover with tin foil and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
11. After the roast has rested, transfer to a carving board. Cut the twine with scissors and discard. Slice the roast into ½ inch to ¾ inch slices. Poor any accumulated juices from the resting plate over the slices and serve.

Cilantro Pesto

This pesto is one of the very first things I learned to cook, and will always hold a warm place in my heart because of that. I liked this recipe so much, I bought Robin Miller's cookbook. Of course, I've since added sun dried tomatoes, extra olive oil, a little more garlic, and pepper. But all good recipes get adjusted as they age.

In addition to being a quick and easy dinner option (over chicken, pasta, or even peas. Basically anything you would put pesto on), this recipe is neat because you can freeze the leftover pesto (this recipe is the double batch of the original recipe, as I always make enough to freeze when I make it) in an ice cube tray and take out individual ice cubes each time you want to use it. Put the ice cubes in a rammekin, and leave them next to the flame on the stove while you heat water to boil. It'll thaw by the time the pasta is done. Just one ice cube per person.

My favorite pasta to make this with is three cheese tortellini, but any will work. The original recipe is for chicken. Be sure and be generous with fresh grated Parmesan cheese when you serve. You can add a little parmesan to the pesto if you want, but it works better to just be generous when serving.

A note on the garlic: this recipe is designed to have a rather strong garlic taste when it is finished. This is because when I freeze the pesto, it is less garlicky when thawed. I, for one, am sorta a nut for garlic, so this really doesn't bother me, but if you are not a raw garlic person, either add two fewer cloves of garlic or freeze and thaw before use.

Cilantro Pesto

2 bunches cilantro (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup plus two tablespoons sour cream

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes

6 tablespoon toasted pine nuts

8 large cloves garlic

1/4 to 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Instructions

1. Place the pine nuts in a small dry skillet and set over medium heat. 
2. Toast the nuts until golden brown, about 3 minutes, shaking the pan frequently to prevent burning. Allow to cool to avoid wilting the lettuce. 
3. Add cilantro, sun dried tomatoes, sour cream, garlic, salt, and pepper to a blender or food processor. 
4. Add the cooled pine nuts.
5. Pulse to combine. 
6. Slowly add olive oil to running blender.
7. Process and blend until smooth and thick. If necessary, add more sour cream or olive oil to taste. You may need to check to make sure pine nuts have not stuck to the bottom of the blender.
8. Season with cayenne to taste. 
9. Pour over pasta to serve. Use prudence when using, pesto is strong stuff.
10. If freezing, portion out immediately into an empty ice cube tray or two as necessary. Thaw individual ice cubes when ready to use later.