Tuscan Style Pork Loin With Garlic & Rosemary

We’ve been eating a lot of steak and chicken lately, so it was time for some pork. We had a delicious pork loin that I cooked Tuscan style, with garlic and rosemary.

Tuscan Style Pork Loin with Garlic & Rosemary

Brine the pork first for about 2 hours in the refrigerator before cooking. The brine helps keep the pork juicy and tender, while adding additional flavor as well.

The Brine

4 lbs pork loin

2 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup coarse salt

10 cloves whole garlic

4-5 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 TBSP olive oil

1 cup dry white wine

pepper to taste

Combine everything together, except the wine, and mix well, then pour over the pork. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Garlic Rosemary Paste

8 cloves garlic

2 sprigs fresh rosemary removed from the stems

1 TBSP olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Place everything in the food processor and blend until it becomes a thick paste.

Preheat the oven to 325* F or 163* C.

Pat the pork dry with a paper towel.

Get a large skillet very hot and add butter and olive oil. Brown the pork, fat side down, for about 8 minutes, or until well browned. Add 1 cup dry white wine to the skillet, bring to a boil and scrape the skillet.

Slice the pork down the middle and generously spread the garlic rosemary paste on both sides of the pork loin.

Place the pork in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray, with the browned side down. Add more of the garlic rosemary paste on top.

Pour the wine mixture into the baking dish and on top of the pork. Roast for about 65-80 minutes, coating with the juices about every 20 minutes. Add water if needed. You want the internal temperature of the pork to be at least 140* F or 60*C before serving.

Once the roast is done, remove it from the heat and let it rest for about 15 minutes before slicing. Top it with some of the cooking juice.

I served it alongside creamy mashed potatoes, a blend of roasted fall vegetables, my Italian torta Torta di Testo di Prosciutti e Formaggio and the same dry white wine I used for the sauce. Delicious! It was a perfect fall dinner.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ’til next time.