ROAST PORK WITH FRESH CALIFORNIA PEARS
Ingredients
3 to 4 pound pork loin roast
1⁄4 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons for browning pork roast
3 Tbsp. mustard
3 Tbsp. fresh herbs (i.e., parsley, sage, thyme or a combination),
chopped finely
Fresh California pears (select from varieties such as Bosc, Bartlett,
D’Anjou, Seckel, or Forelle)
3 cups fresh root vegetables (i.e., potatoes, carrots, onions), cut into large chunks Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preparing and Cooking Roast:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse and cut vegetables. Coat the bottom of a large roasting pan with cooking oil or spray. Place vegetables in center of roasting pan. Rinse pork and dry with paper towels. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil and brown pork roast evenly on all sides. Place on top of vegetables in pan. Mix together 1⁄4 cup olive oil, mustard and fresh herbs. Brush mixture on top and sides of roast. Place in oven for one hour.
Preparing and Roasting Pears:
For large sized pears such as Bartlett, Bosc or D’Anjou:
Cut pears in half lengthwise and remove core and seeds. You may also create a fan-shape, by placing pears cut side down on cutting board. Insert knife just about 1⁄2 inch from top of the stem end of pear and slice through cutting all the way through the bottom end of the pear, but leaving the top near the steam intact. Remove roast and pan from the oven and place cut pears face down directly on the bottom surface of the pan near roast and vegetables.
For small pear varieties such as Seckel or Forelle
Leave whole and coat with olive skin with olive oil. Place whole pears, stem side up, directly on the bottom surface of the roasting pan near roast and vegetables. Return roast with pears and vegetables to the oven for 15 minutes. Keep an eye on internal temperature of the roast. When it reaches 155 degrees, remove from oven and let stand on cutting board for 5 to 10 minutes longer until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Cut slices from roast as needed. Place roast on platter. Arrange vegetables and pears around roast.
Makes 8 servings
Nutrition Information
Nutritional Information: (Per serving) Calories-588; protein-58.16 grams; carbohydrates-19.70 grams; fat-30.03 grams; (saturated fat-8.42 grams; monosaturated fat-16.17 grams; polyunsaturated fat-2.70 grams) cholesterol-160.74 mgs; sodium-341.36 mgs; fiber-3.24 grams; sugar-11.45 grams; percent calories from fat-46%.