Glazed Pork Roast with Carrots, Parsnips & Pears
Perfect for Sunday dinner or entertaining, this mostly hands-off roast is a crowd-pleaser. As pork loin is naturally a lean meat, this cut benefits from a quick oven roast, rather than a long braise which would end up making it a tough and chewy roast. Make sure to cook it only until the still-pink stage to ensure a tender meat.
Glazed Pork Roast with Carrots, Parsnips & Pears
Ingredients
One 3-lb.Pork Loin Roast (center-cut, boneless)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ Tbs. Old-fashioned grainy mustard
1 ½ Tbs. honey
2 Tbs. roughly chopped fresh sage
½ lb. carrots (3 or 4), peeled
½ lb. parsnips (3 or 4), peeled
2 firm but ripe pears, quartered, cored, and stemmed (I used Bosc, but use whichever you prefer, or whichever is in season)
½ cup white wine, chicken stock or water
1 ½ Tbs. olive oil; more for the pan
Instructions
Heat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil the bottom of a medium roasting pan or 15×10-inch Pyrex dish and set the pork in the center. Season the pork with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, mix the mustard, honey, and half of the sage; spread on the top and sides of the pork. If the carrots and parsnips are thick (about 1 inch or larger around), cut them in half or quarters lengthwise so that they’re all roughly the same thickness (about 1/2 inch thick at their thickest part). Toss the vegetables and pear wedges with the 1 ½ Tbs. olive oil and the remaining sage, season with salt and several grinds of pepper, and arrange around the pork.
Pour ½ cup wine, broth or water into the pan (pour around the roast and not on top of it) and roast in the center of the oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the roast registers 145°F, 40 to 45 minutes. (The cooking time will vary widely depending on the thickness of the roast; start checking early, and check frequently once the temperature reaches 130°F.) Transfer the pork to a carving board. (If the vegetables and pears aren’t fully tender by the time the pork is done, return them to the oven until tender, 5 to 10 minutes.)
Let the pork cool for 5 minutes before slicing thinly. Serve with vegetables, pears, and pan juices.
