For the past 8 years, we've hosted a friends Valentine's Day dinner and look forward to it every year. I tried to keep things simple as we had a busy day of getting our apartment ready for photos (more on that) and stuck with our new favorite jalapeno popper dip and a cheese plate to start. For dinner, I made a bourbon-roasted pork loin (recipe courtesy of my mother-in-law), corn fritters (I don't recommend this recipe- I thought the fritters were pretty bland), and a big spinach, pear, and goat cheese salad. And Jacqui made banana pudding (will share the recipe in a separate post).
Bourbon-Roasted Pork Roast
This was such a hit and came out very juicy and flavorful!
Ingredients
- 1 3lb. boneless pork loin
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 1/4 cup grainy mustard
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium onions thinly sliced
- 2 Gala or Fuji apples cut into 6 pieces each.
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with rack in the center.
- Using a sharp knife, cut a shallow crosshatch patter in the top layer of fat on the pork loin, taking care not to cut into the meat.
- Mix the bourbon, mustard, brown sugar and honey, sea salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub over pork, covering all sides; set aside while oven preheats.
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and apples. Season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring regularly for about 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent and apples are starting to soften.
- Center the roast, fat side up, on top of the apples and onions. Pour any remaining rub and liquids that have accumulated.
- Roast the pork uncovered for 45-55 minutes, basting a couple of times, or until a meat thermometer reads 135-140 degrees. Let the roast stand for a few minutes before slicing and serving with the onions and apples and pan juices.
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