A little procrastination?

Luckily we’re experiencing another beautiful fall weekend day. Although raking leaves and getting the deck winter-ready hasn’t been at the top of our priority list, we can’t keep avoiding it (though we’ve done a great job of procrastinating until now). It’s just that there are always other more fun activities that ‘get it the way’ 🙂 We can’t be the only ones that feel this way… can we?

It’s about time…

So I finally did it. While Liz and the boys were out running errands, I stayed home to finish this blog post and get some of the yard work done. Thankfully we don’t have a big yard, but we do have a big tree in our little yard and man oh man it’s got a lot of leaves (well not anymore – hence the need to rake). Whew…I got most of it done. Our older son finished bagging the leaves when he got home. It was a nice surprise for Liz and I feel good about accomplishing the fall tasks.

I don’t procrastinate with food!

I like to think I have my priorities straight! Just like this pork loin recipe…this is actually our second pork loin recipe on the blog. This is one of those meals that’s easy to prepare, quick to cook and everyone at home loves it! This time around, I went with a balsamic based glaze and it didn’t disappoint. As a tip, make sure you use a thermometer to guarantee a perfect internal temperature–we don’t like the meat dry, but we don’t mess around with pork. See the note below on our doneness preference. Feel free to tweak the time and temperature based on your personal preference.

A successful day!

Leaves raked? Check! Deck furniture covered? Check! Yard hose emptied and stored? Check! Bulbs planted in the garden for a nice spring surprise? No!…Let’s not get carried away. I cooked and did yard work and baked…I’m not superman you know;-). Besides, Liz knows that better than I do, so I’ll leave that part of the yard work in her capable hands. I still feel awesome! I accomplished quite a lot.

So, I encourage you to get out there and do whatever cold-weather prep needs to be done (if you live somewhere where that’s necessary) and then reward yourself with a delicious meal…and as always, eat well, friends!

Balsamic Oven Roast Pork Loin

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

This balsamic oven roast pork loin is juicy, tender and delicious. It's perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or for serving guests on a relaxing weekend.

Author: Nelson Cardoso

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: North American

Serves: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 3.3 Lbs (1.5 kg) pork loin (3 approximately equal sized pork loins)
• 5 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1½ tsp fresh thyme, stem removed and finely chopped
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp quality balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 2½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 ºF.
2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Spray a large cooling rack with cooking spray (the rack should fit inside the baking sheet).
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, thyme, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and mustard. Set aside.
5. Take the pork loins out of the fridge about 10 minutes before using them.
6. Pat down the pork loins with a paper towel (discard the paper towel after use).
7. Distribute the salt and pepper evenly over the pork on all sides and pat it down.
8. With a very sharp end of a knife, poke slivers/thin cuts evenly across the pork loins. (to allow the marinade to penetrate into the meat.
9. Place the cooling rack on the lined baking sheet.
10. Place the pork loins on the cooling rack.
11. Using a brush or clean hands, spread the balsamic marinade evenly over the pork loins.
12. Place the baking sheet in the oven on the middle rack and roast for 15 minutes.
13. Reduce the oven to 400 ºF and continue to cook for 15 minutes.
14. Open the oven door and check the temperature of the meat with a thermometer in the centre of the thickest part of the meat. The meat should be at around 150 ºF. If it's not their yet, let it cook for another 3 to 5 minutes and check again.
15. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and tent with aluminum foil for about 6 minutes.
16. Slice and serve hot with your favourite sides. Enjoy!

Notes

Pork loin can safely be eaten at 145 ºF, but we like it just a touch more done. I find that at 150 ºF the meat is still juicy and just a touch pink in the centre. This is personal preference, so few free to adjust as needed.

As with chicken, always use extra caution when handling raw pork meat. Make sure to wash hands and surfaces frequently to avoid bacteria growth.

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