Pork and maple syrup have an excellent affinity for each other. The buttermilk and the caramel of the syrup will give the outside of the roast a beautiful color and the inside a lush flavor, in addition to keeping the meat moist. The leftover pork makes for an excellent base in a sandwich. Just add mustard, mayo, and red onion and serve between two pieces of country toast.
Ingredients
Pork
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- Kosher salt
- 1 4-bone pork loin roast (3 to 3½ pounds), tied
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for searing the pork
- Chicken stock, as needed (up to 2 cups)
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 small orange zest, removed with a vegetable peeler
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- Splash of sherry vinegar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to Make It
- The day before you make the pork, combine the syrup, buttermilk, thyme, lemon, garlic, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large, sturdy resealable bag and add the pork. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight, turning the bag occasionally.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Remove the pork from the marinade and let it come to room temperature while the oven preheats. Season the pork with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a thin film of oil and sear the pork to brown on all sides, about 4 minutes in all. Transfer the pork to a rack in a roasting pan, but reserve the skillet. Roast the pork, bones up, for 15 minutes. Add ¾ cup water to the pan and then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. and roast until the internal temperature of the pork is 145°F., 40 to 45 minutes longer, adding up to another ¾ cup of water to the pan to keep the drippings in the bottom from burning. Let rest on a cutting board while you make the sauce. Pour the drippings into a bowl and remove the top layer of fat. Pour into a measuring cup and add enough chicken stock to make 2 cups in all. To make the Sauce
- Over medium heat, heat the skillet used to sear the pork. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and the shallot and cook until the shallot is softened, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over and stir to combine. Cook just 1 or 2 minutes and then add the orange zest and paprika. Pour in the stock, add the bay leaves, and bring to a rapid simmer. Simmer until slightly thickened and reduced by about one third, about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, whisk in the remaining tablespoon of butter, and add a splash of sherry vinegar. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
- Carve the roast, between the bones, into 4 portions. Ladle about ¼ cup of sauce over each serving and pass the rest of the sauce at the table.
