Pork Loin Recipe (photos)

One of my favorite things to make and eat is pork loin. It's so moist and tender, easy to reheat, and goes any side dish. Salad, brussel sprouts, green beans, sweet potatoes... you get the idea. 


Here's how I prepare it. It might work for your family as well. 


First I make a "tray" out of heavy duty aluminum. 


Take two sheets of heavy duty aluminum, crease each side and pull it up, crimping the corners together. 

Place your pork loin in the middle of the tray.  And add spices on one side, and then the other. 

You will have to but the bellies of the loins together, so you have enough room to create your tent.

Spices I used:

Now you need to add some type of liquid to keep the meat moist. I've been experimenting to see which liquid works best. I've tried Apple Cider Vinegar, thinking the apple flavor would work well with the pork. While it did have a hint of sweetness, the bitterness was too much. Eww. 

Then I tried white wine. It was better than the vinegar, but still had an odd taste, so I wouldn't recommend that either. 

This time I used:

And it worked out extremely well! It had a nice subtle flavor, kept the meat moist, and had a great smell. 

After you add about 1/2-3/4 cup of stock, close up the foil tray. Make it into a tent of sorts. You want to leave a few inches of breathing space for it. So just crimp the edges together... don't conform to the shape of the pork loin. 

Leave space between the top and the pork. Close the side though

Fold in the ends and make sure they are crimped together well. You can place your pork on a cookie sheet, or just stick the foil tent into the oven. I just put it in the oven, but if you are not confident in your foil crimping skills, you may want to use a cookie sheet to catch any drips. 

Bake at 280 for about 2.5 hrs (I used a 3.35 lb cut) or until the pork reaches 180 degrees. If you do not have a meat thermometer, I highly suggest you buy one. They are relatively inexpensive. And it can mean the difference between a lovely dinner and a ruined dinner (and food poisoning your dinner guests). 


Once the meat is ready, take it out of the oven and let it sit (meaning: don't touch it) for at least one hour. If you cut it before this, all the juices will run out, and you'll end up with a flavorless, dry pork. Yuck. 

Resting for 60-90 minutes.

After an hour or so, I cut it into 1" medallions. Serve with your choice of warm vegetable. Most people like sweeter things (apples, sweet potatoes, things like that) with pork. I prefer more savory foods. 

Sauteed broccoli with bacon works well.