Power to the Pork Loin
The pork loin can look so appealing at the butcher shop, but it can become highly intimidating once it's in your kitchen. These 18 tried-and-true recipes provide a fantastic starting point for tackling the "other white meat."
Our first company-worthy dish is Roasted Cider-Brined Pork Loin with Green Tomato Chutney.
For the deepest flavor in this pork main dish, use unfiltered cider.
Pork Loin Stuffed with Spinach and Goat Cheese
High-flavor ingredients embellish a lean cut in this elegant slow cooker main. A sophisticated stuffing of creamy goat cheese, silky spinach, and lemony herbs give this lean and mighty pork loin 5-star flavor. Topped with apricot-infused sweet and sour sauce, we tip our hats to the slow cooker for coaxing out this degree of decadence.
Roast Stuffed Pork Loin with Port Sauce
Use the gorgeous flavors of dried cherries, pungent herbs, and rich port wine to keep servings small but satisfying. Depending on the intensity of your port, the sauce may be darker or lighter.
Mu Shu Pork Wraps
If your butcher is unable to cut an 8-ounce piece of pork loin, buy 1 pound and freeze the remainder for another use. Save your mushroom stems for stocks or broths.
Thai-Style Pork Stew
Peanut butter melds with classic Asian flavors to lend this one-dish meal a Thai flair. Lime makes a perfect accent.
Lombo di Maiale Coi Porri (Pan-Roasted Pork Loin with Leeks)
If you don't count salt, pepper, and water, this is an five-ingredient dish. But the simplicity of its preparation belies its deliciousness. Long-braised leeks fall apart into a sweet and mild oniony sauce that's a great companion to the tender pork, with white wine adding a hint of acidity to brighten the dish.
Ginger and Thyme-Brined Pork Loin
Marinating for a day in brine infuses the loin with subtle sweetness and makes the meat juicy.
Posole
A hominy-based stew, posole is ideal comfort food. With its mild flavor, the hominy makes a great foil for the hearty pork, spicy chiles, radishes, green onions, and limes.
Rubbed Pork Loin with Apricot Glaze and Sauerkraut
Cooking the sauerkraut in the pan with the pork offers a fantastic flavor contrast. Serve with green beans and a glass of riesling or a bottle of beer.
Roast Pork with Apples, Cabbage, and Turnips
Showcasing the best of fall's flavors, this hearty dish combines tart apples with smoky bacon, pungent cabbage, and sweet maple syrup. The apples and vegetables cook along with the pork so the flavors are harmonious. Full-flavored, tart apples, such as Granny Smith, Jonagold, Albemarle (Newtown) Pippin, Roxbury Russet, or Winesap, provide the best flavor.
Orange-Brined Pork Loin
Apples aren't the only fruit that taste great with pork. This orange-flavored brine gives a subtle citrus flavor and makes the meat juicy and tender.
Spicy Green and Red Pork Loin Tostadas
If you like your pork nice and spicy, look no further. These tastebud-sizzling tostadas can easily be prepared in advance and topped however your family prefers.
Dandelion-Stuffed Pork Loin
This is a special-occasion entrée that doesn’t take too much time to make. The original version of this recipe won the blue ribbon at the Great Dandelion Cook-Off in Dover, Ohio, and was developed by Sherry Schie.
Roasted Pork and Autumn Veggies
When we tested this recipe, we used baby carrots with tops attached, but bagged baby carrots would work just as well.
Simply Roasted Pork
This roasted pork makes a quick transition from warm Sunday dinner to cool Monday lunch without compromising flavor. Serve with roasted red skin potatoes or mashed potatoes, broccoli spears or collard greens, and warm dinner rolls.
New England Pork Bowl
Perciatelli is thick spaghetti with a hole in the center. It's heartier and stands up to the other ingredients in this dish, but you can substitute spaghetti, if desired.
Caramelized Pork Over Lettuce
Serve this Vietnamese-inspired dish with rice or Asian noodles (such as udon).
Brined Pork Loin with Brown Sugar-Bourbon Glaze
Brined pork is about as good as it gets. Throw some bourbon on it, though, and it somehow gets better.
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