Orange-Glazed Pork Loin Roast

I've been making this tender and delicious Pork Loin roast for a number of years now. I found the recipe in an old Taste of Home magazine and it never fails to please my family of carnivores. The Orange Glaze compliments the pork perfectly, adding a flavorful citrus and Dijon touch to the lightly herbed roast. I don't coat the Pork Loin with too much herb coating as I've found it can over power the flavor of the Orange Sauce. This is a great family dish, but it also is a perfect roast for a holiday table or buffet. I slice it about 1/4 inch thick and normally serve the sauce in a separate dish. If you use a much larger roast, you may want to double the sauce, as it really is delicious. I've also found that a meat thermometer is important when roasting a pork loin as the meat is pretty lean, so if it is over cooked it tends to dry out. The recipe calls for the temperature to reach 160 degrees for the roast to be done. This one reached almost 165 and it was perfect for us, being only slightly pink and very moist. Give this a try! Here's how;

ORANGE-GLAZED PORK LOIN ROAST
(slightly adapted from Taste of Home)

1 boneless pork loin roast( this one was 3 1/4 pounds, but there are larger ones)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 1/2 tsp. thyme leaves (I used frozen thyme from my garden)
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

ORANGE GLAZE

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup orange juice
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the minced garlic, thyme, ginger, salt and pepper and sprinkle over all sides of the pork loin. Place roast fat side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake uncovered for about 1 hour for a 3- 3 1/2 pound roast, before adding the glaze. Meanwhile, make the Orange Glaze.
In a sauce pan, combine the brown sugar, and cornstarch. Stir in the rest of glaze ingredients until smooth. Bring to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes while continuing to stir. Remove from heat. Separate some of the glaze into a small bowl for using to brush on the roast.
Now, back to the roast. Remove the roast from the oven and brush with some of the glaze and place pork loin back into the oven. My 3 1/4 pound roast baked for about another hour, bring the total roasting time to 2 hours. I brushed the roast with the orange glaze 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Place a meat thermometer into the roast. It should reach 160 degrees to be done. I let mine reach 165. Roasting too long though will give you dry meat. When done remove the roast from oven and loosely tent with foil to keep warm for about 10-15 minutes. It is important to let the meat rest so to let the juices settle in the meat. Slice pork loin and serve with the orange glaze on the side. I served this roast with the Smashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Herbs, Green Beans Almondine, and rolls. Enjoy!
NOTE: If roasting a 5 pound or larger pork loin, let it cook for 2 hours before brushing it with the Orange Glaze. This will give the roast time to get a nice crust so to seal in the juices. Also, different ovens vary, so using the meat thermometer is important. Have a great day!