Recipe(tried): Roast Loin of Pork with Vegetables, Lemon Scented Broccoli

Hello Everyone,

What could be more delightful than the heady aroma of herbs and spices on roasted loin of pork? Sometimes my neighbors knock on the door and they are intrigued by what I am cooking as the aromas waft thru the neighborhood.

I am more than happy to share my techniques and recipes with them and they of course, are delighted when I arrive at their front door with some of the harvest from my own herb gardens; little bundles of fresh rosemary, oregano, marjoram, basil and thyme tied up in string for them to enjoy or a fresh lemon poundcake. We are so lucky to have wonderful neighbors. I have one neighbor that supplies me with the bounty from the farm he manages. He brings me luscious tomatoes, juicy cantaloupes, crisp red and green bell peppers, yellow squashes and green zucchini. Oh, how I look forward to his gifts from the earth he tills....

This is a delicious way to cook a loin of pork. I marinate it the night before so that the scent of all the herbs and spices are permeated thru and thru. This is the Cuban way of cooking so that the most flavorful meat can be enjoyed. If you do not own a mortar and pestle, get one because it is a lot of fun to cook with it. You basically grind all the ingredients in it that you need to make a rub and it is sort of a primitive way of doing what our trusty food processor does in a few minutes. Nevertheless, when I prepare pork, I get to take it out and think of the old ways things used to be done.

I will serve this tonight with Lemon scented broccoli and strawberries and cream for dessert.

Enjoy!! Gina

Roast Loin of Pork with Vegetables

1 3-4 lb. boneless pork loin, trimmed and tied
4 large garlic cloves
1 Tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Here's the fun part: With a mortar and pestle, grind together the garlic, salt, peppers, oregano, thyme and lemon juice. Spread this mixture all over the loin, take a sharp knife and pierce deep and let some of the rub go into the slits. Refrigerate overnight, covered tightly with plastic wrap.

Next day, prepare the veggies:
8 carrots, washed, unpeeled and cut into chunks
8 small red potatoes, washed and quartered
2 onions quartered
1 cup button mushrooms, washed and halved
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. softened butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. italian seasonings

Toss the vegetables in a bowl with the butter, oil and sesonings. Place the pork loin and vegetables in a large roasting pan in a 350 degree oven. Roast at 350 for the first 30 minutes to an hour. Take out the vegetables and keep warm on a platter, then turn the oven to 375 for the next hour and continue cooking the roast till the thermometer inserted in the meat reads 140 and the meat is tender. During the last half hour is when I throw the veggies back in. Check to see meat and vegetables are tender, if not cook for an additonal 30 minutes. Remove strings from roast and slice into thick slices. Arrange meat and vegetables on pretty serving platter. All in all, the entire cooking time for the meat is usually about 1 1/2 hours.

Lemon Scented Broccoli

1 head of broccoli, washed and cut up
1 lemon,
salt and pepper to taste

Steam broccoli til crisp tender. Squeeze lemon juice over and season with salt and pepper before taking to table.