This garlic stuffed pork roast doesn’t take all day, it’s moist, loaded with flavor, and the leftovers make one hell of a sandwich.
Pork is the “other white meat” but I think it takes on flavor and seasoning even better than chicken. Although the loin is much more lean than other cuts, you don’t miss out. The garlic infuses more than enough flavor to make up for it.
Plus, you get that added benefit of how cool the stuffed pork loin looks as you cut off slices. There is an attractive swirl of pure flavor gracing each slice.
Bonus… The garlic and seasoning helps add moisture as well. This works nicely because pork loin can easily dry out if you are not careful.
Perfectly Cooked Stuffed Pork Loin Roast
With pork loin, all too often folks over cook it. Since pork loin actually presents one of the leanest cuts of pork, over cooking it happens all too easily.
Most of us also have a pork phobia too. If we see any trace of pink, then that means it is under cooked. Un-timely death is knocking at the door.
But that isn’t the case. First of all, in a well cooked pork loin, a bit of pink does not mean it isn’t cooked. To avoid any concerns whatsoever, trust your meat thermometer. It won’t lie.
As long as your pork has an internal temp of about 145 degrees Fahrenheit then you are all good.
Is Pork Loin The Same As Pork Tenderloin?
Easy to confuse, pork loin and pork tenderloin are not actually the same cut. The tenderloin is the muscle that runs under the rib cage and looks like a tube of pork. The loin is a slightly wider and flatter muscle that comes from the back of the animal.
However, both the loin and the tenderloin are much leaner cuts of pork, so that is why overcooking is a challenge in both.
With loin, you might find it with the bone in, or boneless. Tenderloin is always going to be boneless.
You can substitute tenderloin here, but the cooking time will be about half the time for the smaller cut of pork.
Every now and then you need to mix up the menu. Maybe you are looking for a recipe that dresses up the holiday spread. Maybe you are hunting for something that doesn’t need to roast all day to be dry and dull.
Stuffed Pork Loin Makes Great Holiday Eating Too
Maybe you are just tired of traditional turkey. Let me show introduce you to this. This garlic stuffed pork roast doesn’t take all day and best of all, it’s loaded with flavor. It’s moist, literally loaded with flavor, and the leftovers make one hell of a sandwich.
Throw out tradition. Get to cooking.
I’m serious when I say that we need to consider pork as a holiday meal alternative. Check out these beauties, and you’ll never look at pork the same again!
- Perfect Oven-Roasted Rack of Pork
- Smoked Pork Crown Roast with a Sage Pan Gravy
- One-Skillet Tuscan Pork Chops
- Pork Tenderloin over Three Cheese Gnocchi
- Easy Ground Pork Tacos
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Garlic Pork Roast
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil plus 2 tbsp
- 22 garlic cloves 10 peeled and crushed, 12 whole unpeeled
- salt and pepper
- 1 2 ½ to 3 lbs pork loin roast boneless
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ teaspoon thyme fresh is best
- 2 tbs unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Add ½ cup oil and 10 crushed garlic cloves to a large resealable bag.
- Butterfly the pork and place in the bag. Seal, coat evenly, and allow to marinate for up to 4 hours.
- Meanwhile, toast the remaining 12 garlic cloves in a skillet over medium heat until lightly browned and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Remove from skillet.
- When cool enough to handle, peel 10 and mince. In a small bowl, combine minced roasted garlic with 1 tbs oil, red pepper flakes, thyme and ½ teas salt, ¼ teas pepper.
- Mash with a fork to make a paste.
- When ready to cook preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Smear the paste inside leaving a 1" border.
- Securely tie using cooking twine. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat the skillet with the remaining 1 tbs oil over medium high heat. Add the pork roast and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.
- Place the pork on a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes, until it temps at 140 F at it’s thickest point.
- Mince the remaining 2 toasted cloves and add to a microwave safe bowl with the 2 tbs butter and ¼ sugar. Microwave until garlic is golden and butter is melted, about 1 minute.
- Transfer the pork to a cutting boar and brush with the garlic butter. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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heather @french press says
what a gorgeous dish! Im sure y family would devour it
Victoria says
This looks totally heavenly! Definitely putting this on my “need to try” list. Yum!
Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says
I tried suggesting doing a different meat this year instead of turkey but my step mom immediately shut me down. However I may win in the long run for Christmas with a smoked ham!!
Michael Wascher says
Pork loin is a favorite, it roasts quickly and is delicious! I’ve learned to watch the temperature closely, the temperature rises quickly and you want to keep it juicy.
Michael Wascher says
Forgot the stars!