A juicy and succulent roast rack of pork flavoured with fresh oranges and fragrant rosemary and served with a tangy cranberry sauce makes for an impressive holiday entrée.
A Yuletide Feast
As the shortest day and longest night of the year approaches, we gather with friends and loved ones to celebrate Yule and welcome the winter season. Celebrated across many cultures, the Winter Solstice holds a dear place in the hearts of many. With warm candle light, garlands of evergreen, and a flaming Yule log, celebrate this Yuletide season with a lavish winter feast. Join us in raising a glass of cheer as welcome the coming of the light!
Rack of Pork
Our Yuletide feast isn’t complete without its centrepiece entrée – a succulent roasted rack of pork. Cut from the centre of the loin, a rack of pork makes for a tender and juicy roast. Bright oranges, fragrant rosemary, and a pinch of cloves add holiday flavours to this impressive roast. A sweet and tangy cranberry sauce is the perfect accompaniment to this rich pork loin roast. Roasted to perfection, this elegant roast pork loin is the perfect holiday entrée for your winter feast.
Ingredients
Pork loin: This recipe calls for a pork loin roast on the rack. You may have to request this cut from your butcher. It is often called a frenched pork loin roast. Frenching refers to the cleaning off of the bones for aesthetic purposes.
Orange: The zest of a fresh orange is used in the herb rub for the pork while the remaining orange slices are roasted along with the pork and used to flavour the pan drippings.
Rosemary: Use fresh rosemary sprigs if possible.
Cranberries: I use fresh cranberries to make the cranberry sauce, although you could use frozen if necessary.
How to make Orange Rosemary Roast Pork Loin
Marinate the pork
In a small bowl, combine the chopped rosemary, orange zest, kosher salt, and cloves. Stir together. Rub the pork loin all over with the herb rub. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or, ideally, overnight. Reserve the orange to use the next day.
Roast the pork
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Drizzle the bottom of a roasting pan with 1 tbsp olive oil. Scatter the onions, orange slices, rosemary sprigs, and garlic cloves in the roasting pan. Place the rack of pork over the aromatics in the roasting pan. Drizzle the pork loin with the remaining tbsp of olive oil and rub all over.
Roast the pork for 15 minutes then turn down the heat to 325°F. Carefully pour the white wine and chicken broth into the roasting pan. Continue roasting for another 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes until the pork reaches an internal temperature between 140°F to 150°F.
Make the cranberry sauce
While the pork is roasting, make the cranberry sauce. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the cranberries, sugar, and orange zest. Juice the orange and add enough water to equal 1/2 cup. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have burst and are beginning to thicken. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Finish the sauce
When the pork is done, remove the roast to a serving platter and tent with foil to rest. Remove the aromatics from the roasting pan. Strain the pan drippings – there should be about a half cup of drippings. If there is more, bring to a boil in a small saucepan and reduce until half a cup. Add the pan drippings to the cranberry sauce and season with kosher salt.
Serve the Orange Rosemary Roast Pork Loin
To serve, slice the loin off the rack of bones. Carve the loin into slices and arrange on a serving platter. Serve the pork with the warm cranberry sauce and enjoy!
