Raspberry Pork
Tender and mildly sweet roasted raspberry pork will bring them back for seconds.
Succulent centre cut pork loin, braised and roasted with a sweet and tangy raspberry sauce that brings out all the delicious flavour.
Pork is a meat that works particularly well with a fruit sauce. The sweetness of the fruit balances the savoury pork emphasizing the flavour. For the most tender and juicy pork loin, always go for the centre cut. However, the centre cut is among the priciest piece of pork. Good substitutes would be loin chops or rib chops.
If fresh raspberries are out of season, frozen will work perfectly fine for this recipe. Thaw the frozen raspberries first and use any juices that result from being thawed.
Ingredients
(Makes 6 servings)
dry rub:
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons mustard powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
pork:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2, 1lb pieces pork loin centre cut (or 2lb centre cut roast)
raspberry sauce:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 red chili pepper, deseeded and chopped
3 cups fresh raspberries
1 sprig fresh rosemary (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F / 230°C and prepare a baking pan lightly oiled with extra-virgin olive oil. Set aside.
In a small bowl combine the dry rub ingredients and mix.
Pat down the pork loin with paper towel to remove moisture. Cover all sides of the pork with the dry rub and set aside.
In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the oil and butter. Once the butter is melted and sizzling, add the pork and brown on all sides. Transfer the pork to the baking pan and cook until the thickest part of the pork reaches an internal temperature of 150°F / 65°C. Depending on the thickness of the pork this could take as little as 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pork from the oven and allow it to rest. As it rests the internal temperature will continue to rise. Once it reaches 160°F / 71°C, the pork is ready to be served.
As the pork cooks in the oven, use the same sauté pan to prepare the raspberry sauce. Reduce the heat to medium and add the balsamic to the pan and allow it to deglaze the pan before adding the remaining ingredients. Reduce the heat to medium-low, mix well, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, reserve 15 to 20 raspberries that are still relatively whole. With the rest of the sauce, add to a blender cup and blend until smooth. Pass the sauce through a sieve to remove any remaining large pieces.
Place the pork onto a serving dish and slice. Drizzle with raspberry sauce and sprinkle the reserved raspberries and fresh rosemary (optional). Serve the remaining sauce on the side.
Nutritional Information Per Serving:
total calories = 300 | total fat = 9.15g | saturated fat = 3g | cholesterol = 105.17mg | sodium = 549.67mg | net carbohydrates = 16.29g | dietary fibre = 6.19g | sugars = 10.47g | protein = 33.37g
