At the Campbell Club, we use local meats and produce as much as possible — not only to support local businesses, but also because local food is the freshest. We use pork loins from Wadlington and Son’s on Veach Rd.: they are hormone and antibiotic free, and they come from a small farm, where the animals live under a low-stress environment. Plus, their pork is delicious!
This pork loin takes on a mountain of flavor with the sweetness and tartness from the pomegranate in the glaze, and from the chipotle and allspice in the brine. It has the flavors of the holidays without being a traditional roast turkey or glazed ham. It’s smoky, sweet, and savory all in one. And to top it off, with only four steps, it’s a relatively easy dish to prepare – brine it, sear it, roast it, and sauce it.
Any time you roast a pork loin, brine it first. The saltwater combination infuses into the pork, seasoning the meat all the way through to the center. And if cooked at the right temperature, it guarantees a juicy cut of meat. The salt-to-water ratio for proper brine is one cup of salt for every one gallon of water. Depending on the size of the container you use for brining, this amount of water should be enough to fully submerge your pork. If it’s insufficient, increase the ingredients to adjust for the additional water.
To make this brine, place two cups of water in a sauce pan on high heat. Add the salt, sugar, chipotle, bay leaves, and vanilla extract. Heat the mixture, stirring occasionally until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove the brine from the heat and let it steep for about ten minutes. Then add four cups of ice to cool it down. Place the pork loin in a large plastic container. Pour in the brine and then add water to cover the pork. Let this sit in the refrigerator for at least twenty-four hours.
After adequate refrigeration, remove the pork and rinse it off under fresh water. Pat it dry with towels, and then season it lightly with kosher salt and fresh black pepper. The pork is already seasoned, so the addition of salt here is just for the extra bite on the crust. Next, coat the pork lightly with canola oil.
In a large heavy sauté pan, or on a griddle or grill at medium high heat, sear the pork on all sides just enough to brown the skin. Then place the pork in a roasting pan, slice the head of garlic in half, and place in the pan with the pork. Lay the thyme sprigs on top of the pork, and cover the pan with aluminum foil.
Bake the pork loin at 325 degrees until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 140 to 145 degrees. Upon removing from the oven, let the pork rest for at least fifteen minutes before slicing. There should be a significant amount of broth in the pan; don’t throw it out, it’s delicious! Once you slice the pork, place the pork back in this broth to let it soak. Garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds.
Sauce
In a medium-size sauce pan over medium heat, add the canola oil and sesame oil. Sauté the onions until lightly caramelized. Add the garlic, ginger, rosemary, and Thai chiles. Simmer the mixture for about one to two minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add the pomegranate glaze, sugar, and Dijon mustard. Reduce this until there is about 3/4 cup liquid. Use an immersion blender to puree the sauce until thin. Pour the sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove any remaining chunks or seeds from the Thai chiles. Then return to the pan off the heat and add the two tablespoons of unsalted butter. Stir in the butter until thoroughly incorporated, and serve warm.
Ingredients
Brine
1 pork loin
4 dried chipotle chiles
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. whole allspice
1 cup table salt
1 gallon water
4 cups ice
To roast
1 head garlic
1 bunch fresh thyme
Kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
Canola oil
Sauce
1/3 cup pomegranate molasses
(or 1 cup pomegranate juice reduced to 1/3 cup)
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 small red onion, diced
1/2 inch knob fresh ginger, grated or minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 fresh Thai chiles (optional)
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary chopped
1 tbsp. sesame oil
2 table canola oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
Pinch of salt and pepper
1 1/2 cup sweet white wine, such as Riesling
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
