HONEY- ROASTED PORK ROAST

Back in 2002 I received the best gift in the mail, it was the May issue of Bon Appeti!  The title of it was: "Islands of the Mediterranean: Delicious Food in Magical Settings".   This special edition had recipes and menu's from the most beautiful islands of the Mediterranean; Sicily, Capri, Majorca, Santorini, Crete, Corsica and Sardinia just to name a few.  This magazine has become my bible for Mediterranean cooking.  There was no cutting out of recipes from this magazine.  I kept it whole and in tact because every recipe in this issue is to die for.  One recipe in particular that I love is the Honey-Roasted Pork Roast.  This has become my go to recipe for pork roasts.  It is great for company if you want to impress, but you can also serve it for sunday dinner for your family.  I adapted it a bit, but the recipe was almost perfect.  Make sure to add a little chicken broth to the sauce in the bottom of the pan when done cooking.  The sauce it makes is outstanding.  Keep it in a little gravy boat and have your guests ladle it over the pork....delicious!



HONEY-ROASTED PORK ROAST  

* 6-8 servings

• 1 - 4 lb. boneless pork roast
• 1 TB. coarse salt
• 1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 TB. fresh lemon juice
• 4 TB. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1 /2 tsp. rosemary
• 1 1 /2 tsp. dried thyme
• 2 garlic cloves sliced in quarters lengthwise
• 2- 4 cups chicken broth (depending on your oven cooks)

1. Make 8 slits in the fat side of the pork roast.  Place the 8 quarters of garlic deep into the slits.  Rub pork all over with salt and pepper.
2. Place pork in a large ziplock baggie.
3. Whisk together in a bowl; honey, 4 TB. lemon juice, 4 TB. olive oil. rosemary and thyme.  Pour over pork.  Place pork in fridge and marinate for at least 2 hours and up to 4.  Mixing every now and again.
4. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
5. Transfer pork to a roasting pan, preferrably one with a roasting rack so the roast sits up a bit over the pan.  Reserve the marinade.
6. Roast pork for 15 minutes.  Spoon 1/4 of the reserved marinade over pork.  Add about 1/4 cup of borth to bottom of roasting pan.
7. Roast pork another 15 minutes; spoon remaining marinade over pork.  Add another 1/4 cup broth to pan.
8. Roast until instant read thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 150 degrees.  This will take about another 40 minutes.  It will basically be about 20 minutes of cooking time per pound of meat.  While pork is cooking you may have to keep adding 1/4 cups of chicken broth to the bottom of the pan so it does not become dry.
9. Transfer pork to platter and cover loosely with foil.  Add some more chicken broth to bottom of roasting pan and stir to get all the browned bits loose from the pan.
10. Strain pan juices into a sauce pan.  Add enough broth so that the pan contains 1 to 2 cups of juice.  Turn stove on to low and heat sauce.  Keep warm over low heat.
11. Slice pork into 1/4 inch thick slices and arrange on platter.  Serve right away with juices in a gravy boat to ladle on top of the pork.