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Servings:
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8-10
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Author Notes:
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This is a great way to make the everyday pork roast take center stage. One year around the holidays some friends came up with this recipe and we all just went with it. That is the best part of cooking, getting creative with the food and just making the recipe your own or throwing ingredients together to see how it will turn out.
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Ingredients:
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- 1 center cut pork loin roast, 4-5 lbs
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2/3 cup black mission figs (fresh or dried)
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves
- 1-1/2 cups Grand Marnier (may substitute orange juice or other orange liqueur)
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
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Instructions:
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- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Trim loose and excess fat from pork loin.
- With a sharp knife, “butterfly” the roast by cutting into it horizontally, almost all the way through, and fold it open like a book. (The goal is to have a rectangular sheet of pork, of uniform thickness. )
- Place the roast on a large cutting board.
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the Grand Marnier onto the meat, and sprinkle lightly with a little Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.
- Lightly cover the roast with a sheet of foil or plastic wrap and set aside.
- Peel the onion and cut into very thin slices.
- In a flat-bottom saute pan, heat the olive oil and one tablespoon of butter over medium to medium high heat until butter is melted and the mixture glistens.
- Carefully add the onion with a pinch of Kosher salt, and saute until the onion softens and starts to turn a rich, golden brown. (Be careful to stir the onions frequently enough so that they don’t burn, but not too frequently, as they will not turn golden brown if you stir them too often!)
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool, about 15-20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, trim the woody stems and any hard ends off the figs, and cut them in half.
- Using oven-safe kitchen twine, cut 4-5 pieces approximately 12" in length.
- Uncover the pork roast and turn it so that the long side is directly in front of you.
- Place the strands of kitchen twine underneath the roast. (This will make it much easier to tie up the roast once you have rolled it) Spread the cooked onions along the edge closest to you (the long edge).
- Add the figs and the oregano leaves on top of the onions, being careful to keep the stuffing confined along the first inch or two of the edge of the meat (Reserve a few figs and oregano leaves for garnish, if desired).
- Carefully roll up the roast (like a jelly roll), starting with the filling edge.
- Once you have rolled it tightly, secure with the kitchen twine, tied in knots or halfbows.
- Place the roast in a shallow roasting plan.
- Pour ½ cup of the Grand Mariner over the roast.
- Sprinkle 1/3 cup of brown sugar over the roast, and dot with ½ of the remaining butter.
- Lightly sprinkle with Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.
- Cover the roasting pan tightly with foil.
- Bake for 45 minutes, covered, basting with pan juices several times during the course of baking.
- Remove the foil, baste with pan juices, and bake for an additional 15 minutes uncovered, or until the top of the roast turns a rich, golden brown.
- Remove from oven, cover with foil, and let stand for 15 minutes to allow the roast’s juices to redistribute back into the meat.
- While the meat is resting, place remaining butter, Grand Mariner, and brown sugar in a small sauce pan.
- Add 1/3 cup of the juices from the roasting pan, and heat the mixture over low heat until butter and brown sugar are dissolved.
- Raise heat to medium and bring to a simmer.
- (Be very careful as the alcohol vapors may ignite in the pan. If that happens, place a lid over the sauce pan and turn off the heat until the blue flames have extinguished.)
- Allow the mixture to reduce slightly, approximately 5-10 minutes.
- Remove the roast to a cutting board, and carefully slice with a sharp knife.
- Place the slices on a serving platter and spoon the Grand Marnier glaze over the meat.
- Garnish with additional figs and oregano leaves, if desired.
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