Rosemary, Balsamic, and Honey Marinade with Roasted Pork Loin

MARINADE

3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, diced ( or 2 tables dried, crushed)

1 cup cider vinegar

1 cup honey, such as True Gold Wild Buckwheat Honey

1/4 cup Dijon mustard, seedless

6 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 

PORK LOIN

2-3 pounds pork loin, or an size suitable to your needs

1 cup red wine

 

This is a great marinade or grilling sauce for ribs, chicken, and even game birds such as pheasant or quail. In fact, I consider it to be an all-around tasty and complementary sauce for most broiled and grilled dishes.

 

To make the marinade: Blend together the rosemary, cider vinegar, honey, mustard, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, tomato paste, salt, garlic, and pepper. Pour into a small nonreactive saucepan.  Bring to a boil, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let simmer for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken and the flavors intensify. (Boiling vinegar may smell overpowering, but it will subside.)  Allow the sauce to cool and then refrigerate (it will keep well for up to 3 months).

 

To make the pork loin: Marinate the pork loin in this sauce for 12-24 hours. Simply slather the glaze generously over the loin on all sides, cover and refrigerate.  You may turn in occasionally, but this glaze tends to cling pretty well.  When ready to coo, let the loin sit out of the refrigeratior for at least and hour.  Preheat the oven to 500* F.  Place the loin in a tasting plan and reserve the excess marinade and juices from the pan in which in was marinated.

Roast on each side for about 10 minutes, lower the heat to 300*F, and continue baking. While the loin is roasting, put the reserved marinade and juices in a small non reactive saucepan, along with the wine.  Bring to a boil and reduce to 1/2 cup.

Roasting time will vary depending on the size of the loin, so you must rely on the internal temperature to signal is doneness - when it reaches 155*F and the juices run clear, it’s done.

Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with with reduced sauce alongside or simply pour it over loin slices on a platter.  I recommend serving the loin with a soft polenta, crumbled blue cheese, and caramelized onions with baby artichokes.

Makes 2 cups marinade

From cookbook ‘Covered in Honey’ by Mani Niall