Roasted Pork Loin with Apple Cider and Medjool Date Compote

By á-10847

Recipe by James Thornton, Sous Chef at InterContinental Cleveland

Ingredients

• For the apple cider and date compote:
• 4 stems of fresh thyme (fine chop)
• 2 stems of fresh rosemary (fine chop)
• 4 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1/2 oz olive oil + 2 oz for rubbing the outside of pork
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper
• 4 lb. center cut boneless pork loin
• 10 Medjool Dates (pitted and medium diced)
• 10 oz Apple cider
• 1/2 oz apple cider vinegar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 star anise
• 1/4 inch piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 13 x 9 x 2-inch roasting pan with foil. Mix first five ingredients in bowl. Making a paste, pierce meat with a sharp knife about ½ inch deep in several places and press the garlic herb paste into the openings. Take the remaining 2 oz. of olive oil and rub the whole pork loin with it. Place pork, fat side down, in prepared roasting pan. Roast pork 30 minutes. Turn roast fat side up. Roast until thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 150°F, about 20 minutes longer. Remove from the pork from the oven; let the meat rest for 10 minutes, slice, spoon the warm compote over the pork and serve.


Directions For the apple cider and date compote:


Thinly grated zest from 1 orange
Cut the dates in half and remove the pits. Place the dates, cinnamon stick, star anise, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, grated ginger and orange zest in a medium pan. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 3 minutes, Discard the cinnamon stick and star anise, and serve warm. You can also make the compote in advance and store it in the fridge for up to three days until ready to use; just heat up gently before serving