This recipe is both stunningly attractive, thanks to the richly colored sauce, and surprisingly easy to cook. It does take a bit of planning, as the pork needs to be brined for at least six hours before cooking. The roasting, though, is hassle-free, and the apple-pomegranate sauce is quick and easy. When buying pork in the U.S., look for pork labeled "natural." If you can't find natural pork, read labels very carefully; pork that is labeled "enhanced" may include sulfites or other potentially allergenic additives. The prep time given includes brining, in which the pork rests in the refrigerator.
- 1 qt. plus 1/2 c apple cider
- 1/4 c kosher salt or 1/8 c table salt
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 2- to 2.5-lb. boneless pork loin
- freshly ground pepper
- juice and seeds from 1 large pomegranate
- 1 T culinary starch (cornstarch, potato starch, tapioca starch, or arrowroot)
- sugar (if necessary)
- In a deep bowl, stir together 1 quart apple cider, salt, and bay leaves to make a brine. Immerse pork loin in brine and store in refrigerator for at least six hours, or overnight. (If you are using an "enhanced" pork loin, brine for two to three hours.)
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Remove pork from brine. (You can dispose of the brine mixture.) Pat pork dry with paper towels, season all over with pepper, and place on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast pork until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the roast reaches 160 F, approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remove roast from oven and place on a serving platter, covered lightly with foil.
- In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup apple cider and 1 tablespoon starch.
- In a saucepan, bring the cider-starch mixture and the pomegranate seeds and juice to a boil over medium-high heat. Immediately lower heat to medium-low and cook gently until sauce is clear and very thick, about 8 to 10 minutes. Taste and add a little sugar, if necessary.
- To serve, drizzle enough apple-pomegranate sauce on the pork loin to cover the roast. Pass the rest of the sauce behind the roast at table as a dipping sauce. Serve immediately.
Serves 6 to 8.
Feeding a crowd: This recipe will work for up to approximately a four-pound pork loin; however, you may need to increase the quantity of brine to cover the loin (keeping the ratio of salt to cider the same). You will definitely want to increase the quantity of sauce, again keeping the ratio of apples to pomegranates the same. The cooking time will increase slightly; the target temperature at the center of the meat remains the same.
Assume one-quarter to one-third of a pound of meat per guest, depending on how many other dishes you're serving at dinner and whether you want leftovers. If you need more than four pounds of meat to serve your guests, I suggest cooking two smaller pork loins instead, as they will cook more quickly and evenly.
