By David Tanis
- Total Time
- 1 hour 30 minutes, plus several hours’ seasoning
- Rating
- 5(198)
- Notes
- Read community notes
The intensely aromatic garlic and herb seasoning gives this pork roast outstanding flavor. It is best seasoned a day in advance of cooking (or at least a few hours ahead), and the roast itself may be cooked up to a day before serving. Served with a simple salad of fennel and green beans, it makes a perfect summer meal.
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Ingredients
Yield:6 to 8 servings
- 1boneless pork loin roast, about 4 pounds
- Kosher salt
- 8cloves garlic, minced
- 3tablespoons roughly chopped fennel fronds, plus extra fronds for garnish
- 2teaspoons fennel seed, crushed in a mortar or spice mill
- 1teaspoon fennel pollen (optional)
- 1teaspoon lemon zest
- 2tablespoons roughly chopped rosemary
- 2tablespoons roughly chopped sage
- 2tablespoons roughly chopped marjoram
- ½teaspoon red pepper flakes (peperoncino)
- 1teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 2tablespoons olive oil
- 1small garlic clove, minced
- 2tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
- 3tablespoons olive oil
- 1pound green beans, or a mixture of green beans, yellow beans and Romano beans, trimmed
- 2heads fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
For the Roast
For the Salad
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
447 calories; 25 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 43 grams protein; 848 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.
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Preparation
For the Roast
Step
1
Season pork loin generously on all sides with salt (about 2 tablespoons).
Step
2
In a small bowl, combine garlic, fennel fronds, fennel seeds, fennel pollen if using, lemon zest, rosemary, sage, marjoram, red pepper flakes, black pepper and olive oil. Rub and pat mixture on loin, then wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for several hours, or preferably overnight. Bring to room temperature before roasting.
Step
3
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place a rack in a roasting pan. Put loin on the rack and roast for about an hour, until a thermometer registers 130 degrees. Let cool to room temperature before serving. If desired, after cooling you can wrap and refrigerate loin for up to 24 hours, then return to room temperature.
For the Salad
Step
4
For the dressing, put garlic and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste and whisk in olive oil.
Step
5
Blanch beans in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, then drain and cool. Put beans and fennel in a salad bowl, season lightly with salt and toss with dressing. (Dress salad about 20 minutes before serving.)
Step
6
To serve, cut roast into ¼-inch slices. arrange on a platter and garnish with reserved fennel fronds. Pass the salad separately.
Ratings
5
out of 5
198
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Cooking Notes
Joan Collignon
This is a wonderful summer dinner--easy, and full of flavor. Don't season the pork initially with so much salt--1 tablespoon was fine. I've made this three times and the time is always one hour to one and a quarter hours. I didn't enjoy this salad as much as the pork, and substituted a green bean and potato salad the second and third time I served it.
Mark
This is a superb dish for a summer outdoor dinner party. Fennel pollen is very important, not "optional" as recipe suggests. I applaud the direction to cook pork to 130 degrees. DO NOT OVERCOOK THIS DISH. I cooked on a Friday and chilled the roast until Saturday, then sliced and served at room temp. Ideal!
Dan
Ditto with joanhc. Excellent pork recipe, and excellent cooked to 130 as recommended. The salad was forgettable. Pork to be repeated, salad not to be repeated.
theDolphin
Tried these for a summer dinner party and it's now a favorite. I wasn't able to track down the fennel pollen the first time, and instead used extra fennel fronds, and 1/2 tsp of ground fennel, plus the fennel seed. I use 4 1-lb pork tenderloins instead of the roast. You get a different season to meat ratio & I like the look of the slices. Cook them individually for 17 minutes each at 425 before taking them out to rest and come to room temp. The salad is the perfect compliment!
Susie
My family loved this pork roast! I mad a horseradish mustard sauce to serve with it! Relaxed outdoor dining!
Sally
Didn't make the salad, just the roast, which I served hot (cooked to 145, per USDA recommendation; very moist and flavorful). Served with tiny potatoes and peas in a cream sauce. Delicious seasoning for a pork roast...no need to wait for summer to try this one!
RudisHuman
Oh my this is so good! The fennel definitely comes through, permeating the pork with its lovely flavors. I'm fortunate to have retired to a semi rural part of northern CA, expat from NYC burbs. There's a field of fennel nearby where I foraged the leaves and flower umbels (Aug) to harvest the pollen (by rubbing the ripe yellow flowers between my fingers). About 10 flower umbels yielded 1 tsp pollen. That's why it's $$$ in stores. Was it worth the trouble?YES! Do look for wild foods to forage.
MJ
So delicious! Served with saffron spring onions and green beans with walnut gremolata (sp?)
Kat
5 stars for the pork. It is easy, supremely tasty, and conveniently made ahead—great for a dinner party. Didn't make the salad because of the other comments. Instead, made a haricot vert and new potato salad with mustard dressing.
u.n owen
I made pork and salad. Loved both!!! Next day made cold pork sandwich with fennel salad on it. Incredible.
sarah
Made only the pork as written, including with the fennel pollen and served at room temperature. Absolutely delicious and an exciting main for a party!
Brooklynjen
Delicious and agree on 130 for the temp. I read the comments about the forgettable salad and served with a caprese and nectarine salad instead, and corn - great meal for end of summer produce.
Frank
I would substitute orange zest in the pork recipe. And instead of green beans I'd use orange supremes from 2 oranges and a thinly sliced small red onion for a refreshing salad. Could also use thinly sliced apple instead of the orange, but then I would substitute apple cider vinegar for the lemon juice.
Terri in Seattle
This is a perfect dish for an August dinner party. Prepared and cooked the pork to the recipe and it was perfect - flavorful and juicy. 130 temp is the way to go. Skipped the salad.
Susan Sater
Agree that this is great. An option for a smaller number of servings is to use a pork tenderloin instead of a loin roast. As long as you are careful not to overcook it's excellent this way as well. Took about 20 minutes to cook to 130°.
cheri P
Have made this twice recently becuase it was so good the first time, we wanted it for Easter dinner. The meat really did better at an internal temperature of 145, though 140 might do. I served it warm after a ten-minute resting. I served it with a fennel and apple salad.
cheri P
I served this as a hot dish, sauteed mushrooms with butter and cognac and then added the already cooked and sliced pork just long enough to heat through, a minute or two on each side, served with the NYT fennel apple salad plus roasted beets one night and then the same mushrooms and pork served with braised artichokes and pureed parsnips another night. And then there was a fabulous chili with the pork and black eyedpeas, oh my!
rv
•the time is always one hour to one and a quarter hours•The salad was forgettable•a green bean and potato salad
Susie
My family loved this pork roast! I mad a horseradish mustard sauce to serve with it! Relaxed outdoor dining!
Sally
Didn't make the salad, just the roast, which I served hot (cooked to 145, per USDA recommendation; very moist and flavorful). Served with tiny potatoes and peas in a cream sauce. Delicious seasoning for a pork roast...no need to wait for summer to try this one!
theDolphin
Tried these for a summer dinner party and it's now a favorite. I wasn't able to track down the fennel pollen the first time, and instead used extra fennel fronds, and 1/2 tsp of ground fennel, plus the fennel seed. I use 4 1-lb pork tenderloins instead of the roast. You get a different season to meat ratio & I like the look of the slices. Cook them individually for 17 minutes each at 425 before taking them out to rest and come to room temp. The salad is the perfect compliment!
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