What Did I Do Wrong With This Pork Loin Roast?

[kaneohegirlinaz]

I found, what I thought, was a beautiful Pork Loin Roast on sale $1.88 per pound.  I thought that I had made a good looking Pot Roast Pork, but I guess not. 

I served a nice lunch today of sliced roast, pan gravy, stemmed carrots and broccoli and a salad. 

The meat was as dry as sawdust!

Here’s what I did:

I dried the meat off first and then seasoned with S&P

heated the Dutch oven with EVOO to just smoking

browned that baby nicely on all sides

once it was done I put it aside and did a sweat of aromatics and herbs

deglazed the pot with a glug of dry white wine scraping up the bits

put the meat back in the pot, atop the veggies

then poured in about a cup and a half of chicken broth. 

Into a preheated oven of 375⁰, and immediately turned it down to 325⁰ to cook covered for 3 ½ hours.  It was gorgeous!

I let the beauty rest and cool completely prior to wrapping it up and stashing it in the ‘fridge to eat later.

I know that farmers are not producing pigs with very little fat on them, can that make the difference?  And if so, how can a get a moist and juicy pork roast in the end?  Maybe not buying the loin?  Maybe getting the shoulder cut instead?

I’m stumped as a Home Cook… 

 

[michaelga]

Pork Loin Roast is very lean with little to no inter-muscular fat and only a thin layer on the 'top-side'.

It should be cooked to medium rare for the best results ~140ish.

Brining helps along with a pan sauce.

----

For long and  slow cooking the shoulder, bone in is best. (as you guessed)

 

[petemccracken]

For me, pork loin should be brined, then roasted, not braised. I  like to stuff with an apple based stuffing.
 

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

gotcha!

I braised, low and slow, which is not the best method for a loin, right?

So, if I find another loin roast, it should be at higher temp and quickly?

With this all said, now I have about a pund of that sawdust leftover... I do not like to waste, even if it was cheap... what can I do with that?

 

[michaelga]

yes and yes

As for the pund of leftovwers, here are a few ideas:

Chop it up, mix it with herbs/spices,  bread crumbs and fat and use it as a filling/stuffing for your next roasted Loin!

Or leave it cold and cut it super thinly for sandwiches (with lots of mayo), if you have a good local butcher you can even take it down to him to get it shaved.  If you're a good customer they will do it for free!

Turn it into pork hash-browns with the addition of bacon and onions! maybe some potatoes even.  

Slice medium thin, reheat in pork gravy and use it on open face sandwiches.

Add to your favourite soup (it's now low fat soup because you used loin instead of shoulder)

Dice it up and add it into your favourite pasta sauce or even mac and cheese. with a few bacon bits...

Julien it (match sticks) and then dry fry it and then shallow fry for twice cooked pork.  (you probably won't need to dry fry it very long as it sounds pretty dry already)

Pork pot pie - just dice a bit finer than usual, then crisp up the cubes in your favourite fat (bacon) before adding to the pies.

If you don't have time just put it in some 'jus' and freeze it till later.

Good luck!

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

oh, pork hash!  will that still be too dry though?  or it would using BACON fat and 'taters help it?

 

[michaelga]

The bacon adds the fat - the potatoes hold the fat in the dish so it isn't greasy and the onions are the savoury-sweet-sharp-pungent taste to tie them all together.

A good dose of garlic and black pepper and you are golden, just don't burn the garlic (ever) and hold the salt till the final tasting, it's likely going to have enough already.

 

[maryb]

Fine chop, in a pan with some bacon fat saute some taco seasonings, add a little taco sauce and the chopped pork, you want this just slightly wet with the taco sauce. Use for burritoes or a pork chimichanga.

 

[koukouvagia]

I once roasted a pork loin for a large gathering and it came out horribly dry.  What's even worse it turned out that the potatoes were not ripe yet so those too turned out terrible.  The whole dinner was bust and I have never ever looked at cooking or eating a pork loin again.

 

[chefedb]

Loins are to lean and not meant for pot roast, moisture will come out of it not go into it. Cook and leave it a bit pink inside , not rare pink Pork today is healthier then chicken as far as sanitation and processing goes.Always roast it or cut into chops and pan sautee or broil. quickly. My other question why would you want a pot roast out of pork anyway..

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

Miss KK, that’s about how I feel.

I just can’t catch a break with any kind of roasts for some reason.

I that I need to get back up on that horse though.

I love pot roast with boiled potatoes, carrots and loads of brown gravy (there it is again, GRAVY). 

Chicken gravy is okay. 

I make a chicken and mushroom dish that is drowning in gravy and then served over broad egg noodles.  Really though, that’s all it is, simply chicken, mushrooms and gravy. 

Maybe it’s jall about the gravy. 

Any vehicle for that unctuous liquid is fine in my book!

 

[kongfeet]

Whether you braise or roast, 3 1/2 hours seems way too long for a pork loin. Not sure if yours was skin on and/or bone in, but an hour or so at 325 should be enough.

 

[french fries]

I've successfully braised pork loin in cream before (talk about a rich sauce). I definitely agree with the previous comment though: an hour or so should be enough!

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

chefed, I wasn't sure what to do with that lovely 2 1/2 pound boneless skinless pork loin roast that I found at the market for so cheap and so I googled looking for something ...

My first thought was to slice it into healthy sized 'chops' and pan sear them quickly, which in hindsight, I should have.

you were very right, it was very lean, with just a amount of fat on one side...

well, live and learn, right?

That's why it's great time come here to Chef Talk and talk to other people, both Pros and enthusiasts such as myself

I won't give up!

So, in synopsis, Pork Loin Roast, cooked in dry heat, high heat, no more than 1 hour, done to ...

what interal temp would you all say? 

140°  ?? or less? I love pork and I do want to cook more with this product...

 

[petemccracken]

What I would do?

• Brine it for, um, 24 hours
• Butterfly
• Prepare apple or apricot stuffing, you know, onions, celery, green bell pepper, garlic, bread cubes, diced apple or apricot, some liquid, an egg
• Spread the stuffing and roll the loin back to original shape, tie with butcher's twine, um, every 1 1/2" to 2", place on sheet pan, fat side up
• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Roast until internal temp 135°F, remove from oven and tent to rest for 10-15 minutes
• Slice 3/4" to 1" thick slabs
• Serve with Roasted Butternut Squash cubes and Sautéed Green Beans (whole)
   

 

[michaelga]

Pete has it pretty much summed up for you perfectly.

A few things that he knows but you might not, my apologies if you do.

It's a thick cut so Moderate heat not 'high' heat which is better know as a Hot oven (425)

(here is a good reference - http://www.onlineconversion.com/cooking_gasmark.htm)

You roast a piece of meat to an internal temperature that is lower than your desired final finished temperature to allow for carry-over cooking.

The temperature that you aim for while it is in the oven is based on the temperature that you are roasting at and the size of the meat.  

For large pieces use the upper end of the range for smaller items use the lower end of the range. 

ie.

Cool oven- 275 - about 5-10 degrees below

Moderate oven -350 - about 10-15 degrees below 

Hot oven - 425 - about 15-20 degrees below

Bones, connective tissue, skin and extensive fatty bits will skew these temps towards the lower side as they are insulators.

Brines and non-sugary rubs/marinades the same - they buffer the meat from the heat.

Sugar coated or sweet bastes (honey / molasses etc.) will hold heat and therefore require pulling earlier. 

If you overshoot on the internal temperature and the piece of meat is small ie. pork tenderloin - slice it immediately.   The juice lost by not allowing it to rest is much less than the juice lost if you allow the internal temp to coast up into the 160-170 range.   For large cuts remove it to a room temp tray and don't tent it.  

The larger the cut of meat the longer it needs to rest... except when dealing with steaks and super hot broilers, then they take a long rest time also - on a rack and not tented to ensure a good crisp crust.

If your stuffing has any ingredients that are considered 'raw' then you must ensure that they will also be 'cooked' within the range of your final desired temperature - if not cook it more or even better yet change the stuffing ingredients to fit the meats final temperature.  Stuffing also acts as an insulator as well as being super yummy.

Hopefully I haven't arsed any-thing wackbards or made a plain mistake.

Mike 

 

[chefedb]

I figure 15-17 mnutes Per pound tops   Time in oven depends  on weight  temp no more then 350  Toward end of cooking I add some stock to pan to mix adn rehydrate pan juices to make sauce or gravy.   Pink on inside but not rare

 

[koukouvagia]

...My other question why would you want a pot roast out of pork anyway..

What kind of question is this?  Of all meats pork reigns supreme all over the world.  Is there a definition to "pot roast" that you are going by that excludes pork?  This morning my mind is still on last night's superb dinner - pork goulash (fancy name for pork pot roast haha)  Don't know it till you try it my friend.

 

[durangojo]

kgirl,

here are 2 methods i really like and use often...the first has italian influences as it is roasted in cream which makes for a most righteous pan gravy....it's so easy breezy i hesitate to even call it a recipe...maybe just a way.....i'll just hit the high notes but can send specifics if you'd like......make a paste of garlic, salt, fresh chopped rosemary and oil...butterfly pork, rub/slather/spread  most of paste all over inside...roll & tie pork, brown well in dutch oven, pour cream or 1/2 &1/2 into pan, slather more garlic paste mix on top of pork.....oven at 400, cover and roast for 30-40 minutes or til 135-140....pull pork and rest it....whisk cream in pan smooth....i add either dry vermouth or dry sherry as i like either better than white wine in this dish, but whatever you have is good. adjust s&p...... 

the second recipe i would definately call a pot roasting method......butterfly the pork and stuff with dried fruit(figs, sun dried pears, apricots, prunes, almonds) whatever you have soaked in wine or sherry to plump a bit. roll, tie and brown really well in oil and butter. pull pork, saute onions, add spices(cinnamon, thyme, nutmeg, cloves, s&p) add red wine and reduce to half...add chopped dried fruits(same as filling), chix or veal stock...put pork back in the pot, pushing it into the sauce and bring to a boil....cover pot, put in a 350 oven for 40-45 minutes or til 135-140. pull pork and rest....if sauce needs thickening reduce it stovetop.

the stuffed one will take a bit more time to cook...just use your handy dandy instant read.....you may also need/want to baste once or twice...won't hurt

joey

it's a cold, hailing, snowy, thunderstormy, slushy day here...perfect day for a pork loin dinner

 

[chefedb]

What kind of question is this. Forget it , you figure it out.