Roasted Pork Roast with Dry Vermouth Shallot Sauce

Pork roast was our meat choice for dinner, since it was what we most recently took out of the freezer and was next in line in the meat rotation. It was a chilly day, and we are taking down all the Christmas decorations, so it just sounded like a perfect post holiday meal. To me, no meal is complete without a sauce, and the sauce makes the meal. I made a dry vermouth and shallot sauce to go with the pork. DELICIOUS! I served it with some roasted potatoes and green beans topped with tomatoes, with a cool, crisp chardonnay on the side.

My pork roast was between 3-4 lbs. After patting the roast dry with paper towels I coated it thoroughly with coarse salt, pepper and a little chili oil. Normally I would have let the pork rest with this coating for about 3-4 hours before starting to cook it, but I didn’t know this was what I was making for dinner until it was too late to do this. So I only let it rest for about 30 minutes instead. It all worked out fine though, as things usually do. I was worried that my roast would be tough because I didn’t have a chance to let the salt tenderize it. But I was wrong, and it was so tender, juicy and full of flavor.

Preheat the oven to 400*F or 205*C.

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

I let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before searing it on all sides to give it a nice crust. I seared it for about 3 minutes per side in a VERY hot skillet with both olive oil and butter.

Once the pork was seared completely, I roasted it for about 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reached 160* F or 71*C.

While the roast was cooking, I made everything else for dinner, and then made my dry vermouth and shallot sauce, all while still wrapping up the Christmas decorations and ornaments too. 🙂

Dry Vermouth Shallot Sauce

1 large shallot, minced

1/4 cup dry vermouth

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup heavy whipping cream

freshly ground black pepper to taste

After removing the pork from the skillet, I drained off some of the oil and butter, then added the minced shallots and let them cook for about 2 minutes.

Next came the vermouth, that I let cook down for about 3 minutes after scraping the bottom of the skillet. You always want to deglaze your pan. Those scrapings are full of flavor and texture and they really add depth to your sauces.

Add the chicken broth and pepper, thoroughly incorporate and cook for an additional 5 or so minutes, or until it reduces by about half.

Add the cream, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.

When the roast is at the internal temperature of 160*F, remove it from the heat and let it set for about 5-10 minutes before slicing. Slice into thin slices and top with the dry vermouth and shallot sauce and serve with side dishes of your choice. Top with chopped parsley and/or cilantro and green onions.

Like I said, I was afraid my roast would be tough because I didn’t let it rest and set like I usually do, but thankfully, it was so tender and juicy instead. It came out just perfect.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. Continued prayers to Californians in these scary and horrific times. ‘Til next time.