Rôti de Porc aux Herbes is a straightforward dish that is basically pork roast, rubbed with aromatic herbs and slow-roasted. Pork roast, called Roti de Porc, is a very popular cut of meat in France. It is a deliciously decadent piece of meat that is cooked to perfection.

Rôti de Porc aux Herbes is great for entertaining, either served as a centerpiece for a special dinner party or weekend entrée or as well as a regular old family meal. It can be brought to the table for carving or served lushly like medallions on an oval platter and served with baked, roasted or mashed potato and vegetable dish. It is best paired with Beaujolais or Pinot Noir. There’s nothing like the right wine and food marriage with this pairing.

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Rôti de Porc aux Herbes, for my 8^th recipe challenge, was a pursuit of perfection. Perfectly cooked pork roast takes practice. I should know, for I have prepared it a couple of times on different occasions and thus far has not come out to desired result.

Rôti de Porc aux Herbes when roast to perfection will have a nice crispy crust on the outside and be incredibly tender, juicy and moist inside. Whether it is large or small roast, the key to tastier and more enticing flavour is to marinate it first before cooking. Pork roast is rubbed all over with garlic and a mix of herbs and spices with olive oil and marinated for at least 6 hours in a non- corroding container, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated. Marinated overnight is even better. After long marination, it is briefly seared over high heat to seal in moisture. Then the heat is regulated to cook through the center. Cooking time varies, depending on the size (width or diameter and length) and weight, it will take at least 45-60 minutes per kilo to slow cook a boneless pork roast. Overcooked pork roast causes meat to dry out and lose its succulent flavor. A meat thermometer is a very useful tool to test for doneness.

Unless I have an observant Adventist, Jew, Muslim or Hindu, for a guest, there is no reason at all to host a bountiful dinner with wavering, with a succulent Rôti de Porc aux Herbes on the table. And so, I hosted a casual get-together for epicures and meat eaters or meat lovers, for that matter, like me on a Saturday night at my home. To serve a French menu, with a subtle touch of elegance added into few simple dishes like Rôti de Porc aux Herbes alongside Gratin Dauphinois and Ratatouille Niçoise as the main entrée, would be fitting, it was what I had in mind. It was nice to be able to entertain a few good friends that are into good food, cozy atmosphere and great conversation.

I started to prepare earlier than usual on that Saturday. Sorted and readied all ingredients for the 3 recipes. I began with considerably a lengthy preparation time, Ratatouille Niçoise, then Rôti de Porc aux Herbes and lastly, Gratin Dauphinois.

I went to the meat section of Rustan’s supermarket Ayala Center the day before and requested from the skillful butcher the particular cut and size of roast I needed for this recipe. I asked for a boneless double pork loin roast, about 1.5 kilos, approximately 4 inches in diameter and 10 inches long.

There are 2 choices for a boneless pork loin cut. It can be purchased as a single pork loin roast or a double. A double is simply 2 single loins stacked one on top of the other, tied with butchers twine at even intervals of an inch, giving the roast a nice round shape. A double pork loin roast is great for a larger crowd and settles in well to marinades, rubs and glazes. Another cut of pork that is suitable for roasting is the tenderloin. Pork tenderloin is smaller than the pork loin roast, and it is the leanest and most tender cut. Pork loin which has more fat, keeps the roast moist and juicy when cooked.

In most countries where culture or religion permits the use of pork, they seem to have similarity in preparations when it comes to pork roast, the use of garlic. Garlic gives meat or any dish a piquant flavor and aroma that resonate in a pleasant way. Garlic may be crushed, minced or cut into slivers and rubbed over the pork roast or inserted into the slits or onto the fatty part of the pork roast. The finer the chop, the stronger the garlic tastes.

I started to marinate the pork loin roast at least 6 hours before cooking. I rubbed it with a good mix of minced garlic, salt and pepper and Herbes de Provence in olive oil and let it sit in a shallow non-corroding pan and covered the whole thing with a plastic wrap. I turned the meat several times for it to absorb the marinade evenly.

Herbes de Provence or Provençal herbs is a mixture of aromatic herbs traditionally used in cooking in South of France. Used by the handful when fresh, Herbes de Provence is also good using dried herbs. Herbes de Provence, typically is a blend of herbs such as basil, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano, tarragon, summer savory, crushed bay leaf and lavender flowers also crushed. It is a good addition to flavour meat when used as marinade with olive oil or as simple seasoning.

At a later time, when the Rôti de Porc aux Herbes was ready, I seared it in a very hot skillet on all sides, until browned, about 10 minutes before I placed it into a preheated oven set at 180° C. It made the outside of the roast crusty. Then transferred the pork loin roast to a roasting pan and cooked it with the fattiest side up in the upper middle level of the preheated oven for about 1 ½ hours, basting every ½ hour with the fat accumulated in the pan to help retain moistness. Then I removed the pork loin roast from the oven onto a cutting board and allowed it to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving and carving.

Rôti de Porc aux Herbes had undesirable end results when I prepared it a couple of times because of one essential tool that I failed to use. I didn’t use a meat thermometer and took the guesswork out of cooking. It was an inconvenience especially when I had to do the guessing several times. Meat thermometer is a useful kitchen tool to accurately measure the internal temperature of cooked meat, to assure that a safe temperature has been reached without any trace of pinkness and that harmful bacteria like certain strains of salmonella and e. coli have been destroyed. Had I used it, ideally, the internal temperature should have been 71° C for medium doneness and 77° C for well done. It should have been inserted into the center of the thickest part of the roast before the roast was supposed to be done. Now I know and should I try to make it again, I would make sure I keep a meat thermometer handy next time.

I served Rôti de Porc aux Herbes on an oval-shaped wooden cutting board for carving, along with Gratin Dauphinois and Ratatouille Niçoise.

It was a lovely dinner in a company of good friends. With satisfied palates and tummies, despite a little tough loin of pork, I cannot say enough how much we enjoyed that evening.

I can’t wait for my next recipe challenge! See you next time… à bientot!

Rôti de Porc aux Herbes

Prep Time: 20mins

Marinate: 6 hrs

Cooking Time: 1½ hrs

Ingredients

1.5 k boneless double pork loin roast (single is an option)

5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 ½ teaspoons ground pepper (less if desired)

½ cup olive oil (less if necessary)

Herbes de Provence:

2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped (more if desired)

2 teaspoons fresh thyme (1 teaspoon if dried)

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon bay leaf

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried sage

½ teaspoon dried tarragon (1 teaspoon if fresh)