PORK LOIN

November 2, 2019

This is not the tenderloin but the whole loin.  It is larger, but just as good in my opinion.

I sliced it far down in pieces that would make good portions.  I made a paste of a bit of pork belly grease left from making the bacon, some olive oil, garlic from the jar, Herbs de Provance (I did not have rosemary and this was close)  black pepper.  I pushed this down in the sliced pork.  Some stayed on the top, but some of that burned a bit.  I cooked it fat side up and still covered the rest of the grease and olive oil.

I baked in an hour at 350, but it did not seem completely done.  I baked it another half hour at 360, but this was a bit too long.  I basted it as I went.  It turned out very tasty.  I used the round oven dish with parchment paper.  I certainly preferred the result to any chops I have had.  Some much juicier.
I particularly liked the slicing and subsequent paste of spices.  The spices on top get overcooked, but those tucked into the pockets of meal are perfect.  Afterwards the partially sliced loin pieces give a good portion.  Finally, any worry that the pork might be undercooked is alleviated.

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Novemeber 12, 2019

Larger loin.  Basically, I did the same thing  except I cooked a butternut squash with the pork.  Both I put on silicone in long glass baking dishes.  I used rosemary in this paste rather than herbs de province.
To get pork belly fat I cooked up some pork belly and put a bowl of fat in the freezer until it solidified and was ready for a paste of spices.
I cut farther down into the loin this time, and I tried to push the spices down.  I put no spices on the top to prevent the burning.  I set the oven a 360 right away.


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September 2020

I wondered about cooking it fat side up, but I had done it before, so I did.  I made the fine cuts and spread a spiced paste in each cut.  I did not have pork belly fat, so I used some of the white palm kernel oil.

I refriderated all of this as I fixed it too early in the day to cook it.  while wrapped for thawing in the refrigerator the pork juices leaked out all over everywhere.  What a mess!

So I just got it oven ready.  Perhaps refrigeration with spices will help them penetrate the pork.

I sprayed the top with olive oil.