Roast Loin of Pork With Caraway, Lemon and Garlic Recipe (2024)

By Nigella Lawson

Roast Loin of Pork With Caraway, Lemon and Garlic Recipe (1)

Total Time
1 hour 45 minutes
Rating
4(247)
Notes
Read community notes

This recipe is a wonderful addition to a celebratory feast, or a weekend winter meal. Some advice if you can't find a loin on the bone: Buy a boneless rolled pork loin and stab it in several places with a knife, then push small amounts of the spice paste into the meat. Smear the rest all over. The aroma of caraway and clove sweetly permeates the meat alongside the sweet-sharpness of the garlic and the out-and-out sharpness of the lemon. The result is robust without being heavy, and the apples roasted alongside the pork provide a juicy edge and a beautiful accompaniment.

Featured in: AT MY TABLE; A Feast For Two Seasons

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have

    10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers.

    Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Print Options

    Include recipe photo

Advertisem*nt

Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

  • 16-chop loin of pork on the bone (about 5½ pounds), rind scored and bone cracked so that chops cut off easily
  • 2cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1teaspoon kosher or Maldon salt, more as needed
  • teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½teaspoon caraway seeds
  • 1tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1teaspoon hot chili oil or olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2bay leaves
  • 1tablespoon olive oil
  • 1onion, sliced into about 6 disks
  • 6small eating apples

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

780 calories; 44 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 20 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 29 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 20 grams sugars; 65 grams protein; 553 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Roast Loin of Pork With Caraway, Lemon and Garlic Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Heat oven to 425 degrees. Set pork aside at room temperature. Using a mortar and pestle, crush garlic with 1 teaspoon salt to make a paste. Add (but do not crush) cloves, caraway, lemon juice, chili oil and black pepper to taste. Crumble in bay leaves, and mix well.

  2. Step

    2

    Place pork loin rind-side down; there will be a groove running along its length where chops join with bone. Rub spiced garlic paste into groove. Rub any extra paste around pork, leaving rind dry. Coat bottom of a roasting pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and place onion disks in an overlapping line down length of pan. Place pork rind-side up on onion, and sprinkle lightly with salt.

  3. Step

    3

    Roast pork for 1½ hours. After 45 minutes of roasting, score apples around circumference, and if necessary, trim bottoms so they sit upright without wobbling. Arrange apples in roasting pan, and continue to cook everything together for 45 minutes.

  4. Step

    4

    To serve, remove pan from heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Transfer pork to a carving board, and slice into chops. Serve each chop with a baked apple.

Ratings

4

out of 5

247

user ratings

Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

B

Delicious and easy! Next time I think I'll up the spices a bit; the flavor was quite subtle.

CYW

It's an 1/8-tsp of *ground* cloves, not whole. It's the caraway seeds that are to be left whole.

Allan Bowdery

The whole apples must be for show. Next time, I'll halve and core them--probably only roast them for the last 30min. I used a boneless pork loin--still moist throughout. I also wonder about the bay leaves, they don't soften much.

Greg

In the image with the recipe, the pork looks very well done and dry. We prefer our pork cooked pink and moist and juicy.

Mary E. Prisco

Delicious with recipe adjustments. At the advice of my butcher, I used a bone-in roast but without the rind (too costly and too fatty). Doubled the quantity of spices. Layered whole bay leaves over the onion, under the roast. Doubled the apples. After 30 min, lowered the temp from 425 to 375 and roasted for 30 min. Served the caramelized onions & apples on top of the slice of roast. Deglazed the roasting pan with wine to save the incredibly concentrated flavors that otherwise would be discarded

@wongbd

You don't need to/shouldn't cook a roast at 425F for 90 minutes. I am almost sure this recipe should have a "turn the oven down to 325F after the rind is brown," that is missing, so the roast is not overcooked and dry. Before making this I encourage you to check other NYT pork loin roast recipes for temperatures and cooktimes to compare. Using a meat thermometer and standard internal temperatures is always best. Re the apples: I was skeptical but they turned out quite nice. Good luck!

Doris

Two small boneless sirloin pork roasts (total 5#) that were on sale but there were limited supplies of spices where I was house-sitting. Using alternatives such as dried herbs in place of bay leaves and safflower rather than olive oil, I roasted six apples picked from the yard for the entire time with the meat. In convection mode at 325 degrees for 2 hours the meat reached 140 degrees, and apples were lovely: perfect served with a baked potato and a lovely pinot noir.

judys

This is really nice, but I had a small boneless pork loin so had to adjust a bit. Read the comments and roasted at 375 for about 40 minutes. Pork came out juicy and delicious. I didn’t add the apples because I made stuffed baked apples on the side, and sautéed collard greens from the garden. Wonderful fall dinner!

leesat1

I agree that temp should be lowered after 30 minutes to 325 deg.

lucy

I wish I read the comments before cooking, as 425F was way too high for the amount of time recommended. The apples and everything on the bottom of the pan were absolutely incinerated.

Ryan Culpepper

I had made this recipe three times as written, then tried doubling everything in the spice paste except the salt and lemon juice. I prefer the spicier version.

Rob Porter

Amount of rub seemed small so I doubled it. Was not too much. Also, supermarket only has gigantic apples anymore, no such thing as "small" so I sliced the huge apples into rounds just like the onions and put them on the bottom too.

@wongbd

You don't need to/shouldn't cook a roast at 425F for 90 minutes. I am almost sure this recipe should have a "turn the oven down to 325F after the rind is brown," that is missing, so the roast is not overcooked and dry. Before making this I encourage you to check other NYT pork loin roast recipes for temperatures and cooktimes to compare. Using a meat thermometer and standard internal temperatures is always best. Re the apples: I was skeptical but they turned out quite nice. Good luck!

Kate

Followed the recipe to a T. Not terribly flavorful as written but I did like the apples. Oven temp way too high. Might be fine to start, but 425 for any roast is a bit much.

Mary E. Prisco

Delicious with recipe adjustments. At the advice of my butcher, I used a bone-in roast but without the rind (too costly and too fatty). Doubled the quantity of spices. Layered whole bay leaves over the onion, under the roast. Doubled the apples. After 30 min, lowered the temp from 425 to 375 and roasted for 30 min. Served the caramelized onions & apples on top of the slice of roast. Deglazed the roasting pan with wine to save the incredibly concentrated flavors that otherwise would be discarded

Lynne

This is delicious. I used a boneless loin, making the slits deep and about 3/4" wide. I roasted some potatoes in the pan along with the apples. Incredibly delectable.

Yvonne

If you use boneless pork loin instead, be very careful about time. I roasted mine for 45 min at 375 and it was just this side of overcooked. Another ten minutes and cardboard.

BP

Double the ingredients other than meat and marinate over night in sealed bag in refrigerator. Turn loin over every few hours. Take meat out of frig and bring to room temp before roasting. Layer panko on top and spray with oil. Quarter and core apples placing them around roast at 45” mark. Loin works well.

Doris

Two small boneless sirloin pork roasts (total 5#) that were on sale but there were limited supplies of spices where I was house-sitting. Using alternatives such as dried herbs in place of bay leaves and safflower rather than olive oil, I roasted six apples picked from the yard for the entire time with the meat. In convection mode at 325 degrees for 2 hours the meat reached 140 degrees, and apples were lovely: perfect served with a baked potato and a lovely pinot noir.

jss

Thanks to previous comments, we lowered oven to 375 after 45 minutes, cooked 30 minutes until internal temp was 140 - 145. Perfect

Ingrid Wilson

Isn't 1 1/2 hours of roasting at 425 F a bit high? Shouldn't the temperature be turned down after about 20mins to prevent the pork from drying out?

Allan Bowdery

The whole apples must be for show. Next time, I'll halve and core them--probably only roast them for the last 30min. I used a boneless pork loin--still moist throughout. I also wonder about the bay leaves, they don't soften much.

Private notes are only visible to you.

Roast Loin of Pork With Caraway, Lemon and Garlic Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should you cover pork loin when roasting? ›

TIPS FOR A PERFECT PORK ROAST

For a crisp surface on your roast, be sure the oven is fully preheated before putting the roast in and don't cover the meat while roasting. Searing (quickly browning at high heat) the outside of a pork roast before continuing with cooking is a great way to seal in flavor.

What is the secret to tender pork loin? ›

If you're not confident in your cooking skills, there is one foolproof way to guarantee your pork ends up on the tender side, even if you cook it too long: Soak it in a brine or a marinade. According to Hazel, these kinds of preparations always produce the most tender outcomes.

Should I brown pork loin before roasting? ›

Skipping a pan sear before roasting all but guarantees you'll miss out on the former. Sear and roast in the same pan: A cast iron skillet mitigates the “one more pan to wash concern” since you can sear the pork loin roast in it, add some aromatics like onions and apples, and then roast the whole thing in the oven.

Does pork loin get more tender the longer you cook it? ›

At 400 degrees F, a 1-pound pork tenderloin will cook in 8 to 10 minutes after being seared on the stove. Unlike tough, fatty cuts of meat (like the shoulder used for Slow Cooker Pulled Pork), leaner cuts like pork tenderloin and pork loin do not become more tender the longer they cook.

Should I put water in the pan of a pork roast? ›

Before you put the pork in the oven, pour a cup or two of water into the bottom of whatever pan you're using—just enough to completely cover the surface—then cover the roast completely with foil. (You can also use a broiler pan instead, placing the pork on the top and using the bottom chamber to hold the water.)

Is it better to cook a pork loin at 350 or 400? ›

Doing this will help the pork loin from becoming dry and tough. First, wait until your oven is preheated. Once your oven is at 400° F place the loin inside and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes take the loin out and lower the oven temperature to 350 ° F and cook the loin for another 20 minutes per pound of meat.

What spices tenderize pork? ›

Brine the pork.

Brining involves soaking your meat in salt water to increase the tenderness and moistness of the final dish. Brines always contain salt and water, but can also include other ingredients for added flavor like apple cider, brown sugar, rosemary, and thyme.

How do you keep pork loin roast from drying out? ›

Give your cooked pork roast around 10 to 20 minutes of rest time after removing it from the heat — regardless of how you choose to prepare it. If you're looking for tender and mouth-watering results, this is crucial to help the meat reabsorb its juices.

How do you cook pork loin so it isn't dry? ›

For a loin I roll it and at room temperature put it in a very hot oven for 6.5 minutes a pound. Then I turn off the oven and let it sit inside for 45 minutes. It's never dry. For a pork butt or shoulder I roast it low and slow.

Should you oil pork before roasting? ›

Drizzle the olive oil over the pork rind and the meat, rubbing it in with your fingers for best results (if you need more oil, add more). Season the rind with a generous amount of sea salt (about 1 tablespoon). Transfer pork to a roasting dish and roast for 50 minutes, or until the rind crackles.

Do you roast a pork loin fat side up or down? ›

Step 4: Place your pork, fat side up, in your prepared pan. Step 5: Add oiled/seasoned vegetables around your pork loin to make it a complete meal. Use vegetables that require longer cook times like potatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, and carrots. Step 6: Roast in a 400 F oven for 15 minutes.

Do I need to rinse pork loin before cooking? ›

Washing beef, pork, lamb, or veal before cooking it is not recommended. Bacteria in raw meat and poultry juices can be spread to other foods, utensils, and surfaces. We call this cross-contamination.

What is the best cooking method for loin? ›

CG: Roasting is the most natural way to cook a pork loin, and it's the easiest and the quickest to get into the oven. I like to sear the outside and then roast it, or you can just roast it as is. The indirect method of cooking preserves pork loin's inherent juiciness and tenderness.

What temp is pork loin most tender? ›

Cooking Temperature of Pork

The safe internal pork cooking temperature for fresh cuts is 145° F. To check doneness properly, use a digital cooking thermometer. Fresh cut muscle meats such as pork chops, pork roasts, pork loin, and tenderloin should measure 145° F, ensuring the maximum amount of flavor.

What tenderizes pork the best? ›

Slow Cooking: Slow cooking is one of the best methods to make pork belly tender. You can slow cook it in a slow cooker or oven at a low temperature for several hours until it's fully cooked and tender.

Should pork loin be covered or uncovered? ›

For a crisp surface on your pork loin roast, be sure the oven is fully preheated before putting the meat in and do not cover it while roasting.

Is it better to cook pork tenderloin covered or uncovered? ›

Place it in the hot oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer registers 145°F (medium), 20-30 minutes. If roasting for longer than 20 minutes, cover the pork loosely with foil to prevent the top from burning. Remove the tenderloin from the oven.

How do you cook a pork loin so it doesn't dry out? ›

Grilling
  1. First, use a high-heat area to quickly brown the meat on all sides. ...
  2. Next, move the loin to a low-heat area of the grill and cover it with foil.
  3. Now, you can roast the pork using indirect cooking for approximately one to one and a half hours, or about 20 minutes per pound of meat.
Oct 3, 2023

Do you cook tenderloin covered or uncovered? ›

Bake uncovered 40 to 50 minutes or until thermometer reads at least 140°F. Cover beef with tent of aluminum foil and let stand about 15 minutes or until thermometer reads 145°F. (Temperature will continue to rise about 5°, and beef will be easier to carve.)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Cheryll Lueilwitz

Last Updated:

Views: 6368

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (74 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Cheryll Lueilwitz

Birthday: 1997-12-23

Address: 4653 O'Kon Hill, Lake Juanstad, AR 65469

Phone: +494124489301

Job: Marketing Representative

Hobby: Reading, Ice skating, Foraging, BASE jumping, Hiking, Skateboarding, Kayaking

Introduction: My name is Cheryll Lueilwitz, I am a sparkling, clean, super, lucky, joyous, outstanding, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.