Double Pork Loin Roast with Fennel and Sage

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I made a last minute change to our dinner menu on Thanksgiving Day. I originally planned to do a cider brined pork loin, but as the various elements of the supper came together I realized I didn't have the room to store or bake the apples that make the dish so special. Fortunately, pork is very forgiving, so I decided to go with a recipe for a fennel and sage rubbed loin that first appeared in Sunset magazine over a decade ago. Pork roasted in this manner is delicious, but I have a couple of suggestions to share with those of you who are adventurous enough to give this very simple recipe a try. I marinate pork roasts for at least 8 hours in a salt and sugar brine to assure the meat remains moist as it bakes. I've included instructions for making the brine with tonight's post, should you want to give it a try. I know from experience that it will enormously improve the taste and texture of the pork and guarantee a moist roast. I  highly recommend brining the loin prior to roasting. My other suggestion has to do with cooking time. My family likes their pork moist and pink, so I always cook it to 140 degrees and then remove it from the oven. I have found that the 2-1/4 hours recommended in this recipe will produce a dry roast. In order to avoid that, I begin to check the interior temperature of the meat when it has been in the oven for 1-3/4 hours. I strongly recommend you use a meat thermometer and pull the roast from the oven when its interior temperature  reaches 140 degrees. My holiday roast was a 6 pound double loin and it was ready in less than 2 hours. It is also important to tent the roast with foil and let it sit for 15 minutes before carving. The drippings from this roast are delicious, but they are not copious enough to make a gravy, so don't plan on serving gravy dependent sides with the roast. The rub for this roast has attitude and it will not appeal to peckish eaters, but those who love well seasoned meat will be in the foodie version of 7th heaven. Here is how the roast is made.

Apple, Sage and Sausage Dressing

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a perfect dressing to serve with a cider brined turkey like the one I featured yesterday. While there is some chopping involved, the dressing is easy to make and it is a perfect accompaniment for turkey on Thanksgiving Day. While I prefer to bake the mixture, it can also be used to stuff the turkey if that is more to your liking. The dressing is flavorful and moist and I know that those of you who try it will be pleased with its unique flavor combination. Here's how it is made.

Apple, Sage and Sausage Stuffing...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Whole Foods

Ingredients:
1 loaf sourdough hearth bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 11 cups)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 pound fresh mild pork or chicken sausage, bulk or removed from casings
4 Braeburn, Gala or other apples, cored and diced
3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup chopped fresh sage leaves
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Spread bread cubes out on two baking sheets and bake until dried but not browned, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
2) Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking up chunks with a spoon, until browned, about 6 minutes. Add apples, celery, onion and butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until apple and vegetables are softened, 8 to 10 minutes more. Add to bread. Stir in broth, sage, salt and pepper.
3) If using mixture to stuff a turkey, cool completely before stuffing. If baking separately, heat oven to 350 degrees F; bake in a buttered casserole dish until lightly browned and crisp on top, 50 to 60 minutes. Yield: 12 to 14 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Poulet au Vinaigre de Romarin

Two Years Ago Today: Stracciatella- Roman Egg Drop Soup

Three Years Ago Today: Bittersweet Chocolate Snowballs

Inside Outside Ravioli - Pasta Nudi

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The Italians call it pasta nudi, or naked ravioli. It's much easier to make than classic forms of the dish and some like it just as well. The ingredients are identical to those used to make a meat-filled ravioli, but the pillows are deconstructed and the filling appears outside, rather than inside, the pasta. If you are pressed for time, and most of us are these days, this dish will deliver the characteristic flavors of ravioli without the work associated with its construction. What is lost, however, is the lovely texture of the stuffed pasta. This recipe was developed by Mark Bittman for The New York Times. He uses a sage-infused brown butter to dress the pasta. While some members of my family love this dish, it is too rich for my palate and I eat only small quantities of pasta when it's prepared in this fashion. Since mine is a minority opinion, I've decided to post the recipe and let you judge for yourself. The meatballs, which are poached in water, can be made well ahead of time, so there is minimal last minute fuss required to bring this dish to the table. If you like meatballs and brown butter sauce, I suspect this dish will become a favorite of yours. Here's how it's made.

Inside Outside Ravioli - Pasta Nudi

Ingredients:
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
1 large egg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, more for garnish
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup very finely minced onion
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound fresh or dried pasta, any kind
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
20 fresh sage leaves

Directions:
1) Place meat, egg, cheese, parsley, onion, and salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Mix well but do not knead. Form into balls 1/2-inch in diameter. Refrigerate until ready to cook. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.
2) Cook meatballs in water for about 5 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Cook pasta in same water until tender but not mushy.
3) Meanwhile, in a medium pot cook butter and sage together until butter is light brown, about 5 minutes.
4) Before draining pasta, reserve a bit of its cooking water. Drain pasta, then toss it with butter-sage mixture and enough reserved water to make it saucy. Top with meatballs and serve, passing grated Parmesan at the table. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

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Butternut Squash Ravioli - Vegacious
Basil and Goat Cheese Ravioli - The Saucy Kitchen
Arugula and Goat Cheese Ravioli - The Red Spoon
Corn and Pesto Ravioli with Parmesan Butter Sauce - Inexpensive Eating
Ravioli Gnudi with Walnut Sauce - Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice
Red Pepper, Garlic and Herb Ravioli - Barbara Bakes
Asparagus, Pancetta and Ricotta Ravioli - Ladyberd's Kitchen