It's a new year and a whole new upstart for Ms. Jenny Farm! This year I will dive more into cooking around the homestead with some great off the grid ideas and of course still throw in some exciting "on the farm" features as we will be very busy around here with expansions and improvements in 2015.
We are starting the year off right with two full freezers of fresh, farm raised pork. In October we had a gilt and the un-cut boar butchered. The gilt came in at 396 lbs and the boar at 90lbs, that equals a whole lot of bacon, sausage and ham!
My holidays were spent perusing pork recipes and ideas on how to reinvent the ham dinner. When New Year's rolled around I didn't want the same old savory meal. I pulled out my 11lb pork loin, some honey and apple juice and went to town. The result was a dinner with no leftovers and a meal even Hairy Man couldn't complain about. I wanted to share it here today in a smaller version on a 2-3lb loin. Try it for Sunday dinner this week and let me know what you think!
Honey Apple Pork Loin
Serves 4-6
1 2-3lb pork loin
4 cups 100% apple juice
3Tblsp Soul Food Seasoning
3Tblsp light brown sugar
2Tblsp honey
Place your loin fat side up in broiler pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub the soul food seasoning onto all sides of the loin generously and return to the pan. Slowly pour the apple juice into the bottom of the pan around the loin and seal tightly with foil. Place on middle rack of the oven and sit down with a good book.
Two hours later pull the pan out and uncover. Pour off half of the liquid into a medium saucepan. Now the yummy begins! Mix brown sugar and honey in small bowl. Flip loin so that fat side is down in pan. Rub sugar mixture onto top of loin and return to oven uncovered for 30-45 minutes. You are looking for a dark caramel color but avoid burning.
Pull loin out of oven and allow to rest on platter tented with foil. Pour all those remaining juices into saucepan and simmer till reduced by half.
Slice loin into medallions, pour pan sauce over top and enjoy!
