Whew! So happy Thanksgiving weekend is coming to a close. I didn’t overindulge too much, but just enough to make going to the gym tomorrow a must. Sorry, no leftover turkey recipes for this Sunday Dinner. All turkeyed out after eating it non-stop for the past few days. We still have almost half a turkey left so don’t worry, there will be a recipe using it sometime this week. Just not today!
When I looked in the freezer I saw some pork loin and decided it would do for some lighter dinner fare tonight. I’ve also got some pecans which were used on our Thanksgiving sweet potato side dish. Pork, pecans…encrust that loin!
Sauces are an easy way to add a nice finishing touch to any roasted meat. They can be pretty simple and add another layer of flavor to your dish. The key is finding what kinds of sauces go well with different meats. My favorite pork marinades for summer grilling use lots of citrus juice so I thought I’d make an orange sauce to go with the pork tonight. It’s light and refreshing and even complemented the lentils and beets nicely.
Pecan Crusted Pork Loin with Orange Sauce
- 2-3 lb pork loin
- ½ C Dijon mustard
- ¾ C finely chopped pecans
- ¼ C roughly chopped pecans
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- 4 Tbs butter
- ¼ C white wine
- 1 C orange juice
- ½ Tbs coriander seeds
- ¼ C chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper
Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Season pork loin with salt and pepper, then coat with mustard. Dredge mustard coated loin in finely chopped pecans.
On med-high heat, heat oil with 2 Tbs of butter in an overproof skillet. Sear the pork loin on all sides until a crust forms. Place in oven and roast until cooking thermometer reads 135°F.
Put a small pan on a med-high burner and toast coriander seeds. Crush with mortar and pestle.
Remove loin from pan and let rest. Place pan back on med-high heat and deglaze with ¼ C white wine. Add crushed coriander seeds, roughly chopped pecans, and orange juice. Bring to simmer and reduce by half. Whisk in remaining butter 1 Tbs at a time and add parsley.
Slice loin, spoon sauce over slices, and serve. Will make 4 servings
The Roaming GastroGnome 