Pork Loin Focettina

I had the other half of the pork roast left over in the freezer from when I made the pesto crusted pork a few weeks ago.  I saw this recipe on the cooking channel awhile back and have been wanting to test it out.  Debi Mazar has a cooking show, "Extra Virgin", with her husband where they make old school Italian style recipes with local fresh ingredients. In any event, I thought this recipe looked amazing and simple.  I have not seen many recipes that call for cooking meat (not fish or poultry in my book) in a white wine sauce so this was our Friday night feast.

I did notice that the pesto encrusted pork that I made was juicier and I attribute that to the brining process. I am most likely going to brine my pork roasts from here on out (or at least until I can figure out how to make a pork roast as juicy without the brine as with it).  This recipe was a hit with Aaron and my dad and I thought the sauce and flavor were both amazing. The only thing I would change is the addition of a brine.

I served this dish with a side of baked zucchini and squash. I cut the zucchini and squash into rounds, placed them into a baking dish, sprinkled them with a little olive oil and parmesian reggiano, and baked for about 20 minutes. This was the perfect accompaniment for the pork dish and prevented the dish from becoming too heavy, which easily could have happened had I prepared potatoes or pasta. This is one of my favorite sides and could eat this a couple times a week. I love!

I got to use my new dutch oven for this dish.  I have been wanting to own a dutch oven for awhile now. For all you people who have their heads in the gutter, not the type of dutch ovens you receive from your spouse under the covers.  Actually, what we purchased is technically called a french oven but according to the research I have done they are pretty much equivalent to a dutch oven.  Here is a link for further explanation http://www.ochef.com/1324.htm

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled
Handful fresh rosemary, chopped
Handful fresh sage leaves, chopped
One 2 1/2-pound pork loin (some fat always helps the sauce)
1 cup dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup whole

Instructions

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and saute the garlic, rosemary and sage for a couple of minutes. Add the pork loin to the pan,  sliding it on top of the herbs to prevent the hot oil from jumping onto your skin.

Saute the pork for about 5 minutes on each side, then remove it from the pan and set aside on a plate. Add the wine to the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan; cook until the smell of the alcohol has disappeared, 1 to 2 minutes.

Lower the flame to a very low-medium heat. Return the pork to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Partially cover with a lid and cook for about 1 1/2 hours, flipping the pork and scraping the bottom of the pan every 15 to 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the sauce, making sure it does not reduce too much; add some warm water if necessary, always in very small increments.

When the pork is ready, remove the pan from the heat and let cool for about 30 minutes. Remove the pork to a cutting board.

When the sauce is cooled, add the milk and put the pan back on the stove. Heat gently over medium-low heat, stirring the sauce constantly. This will prevent curd from forming and will produce a wonderful and soft creamy sauce.

Slice the pork and serve with the sauce.