Some of my readers will remember that we bought a 'whole hog' last Fall. In my quest to find new recipes I added a number of them to my 'collection' to try. This was one of them and now that we are in the midst of winter, it seems like a good recipe to post for a nice, cold, snowy day.
Roast Pork Loin with Mushrooms, Garlic and Sage
2 pound loin of pork, trimmed and tied
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 head of garlic, cloves separated, unpeeled
2 bay leaves, lightly crushed
3 sprigs sage
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
salt and freshly ground pepper
12 ounces wild mushroom medley, such as morels, porcini, chanterelles and/or oyster mushrooms
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 small shallot, finely minced
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
2 sprigs thyme
salt and freshly ground pepper
For the pork: Tie the pork loin with kitchen string; once lengthwise and every inch crosswise. Season the loin generously with salt and pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Carefully add the pork loin to the hot pan and sear on all sides until golden. Add the whole garlic cloves and lower the heat to medium low, cover and continue roasting for 25-30 minutes, checking occasionally and rotating as needed to prevent burning.
While the pork loin is roasting, prepare the mushrooms by trimming and cleaning all of the mushrooms. Heat a sauté pan with the oil and butter, add the minced shallots, garlic and thyme, cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking until the mushrooms are tender about 5 minutes. Set aside.
When the meat reaches 150 degrees F, transfer the loin to a cutting board and allow the meat to rest for 15-20 minutes.
Place the pan back on the burner over medium heat; add the bay leaves and sage and deglaze the pan with white wine. Reduce the wine by half then add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer and lightly reduce again. Add the sautéed mushrooms to the sauce and remove from the heat; let the mushrooms and sauce sit for about 5 minutes to infuse. Slice the pork loin into ½ - inch thick slices and lay 3 slices on a plate. Place the mushrooms over and around the pork loin, spoon the sauce around and serve immediately.