The pork loin with orange is an easy and tasty pork roast, perfect as a main dish for Christmas celebrations. It is a simple but scenic recipe, ideal for serving a fragrant and refined dish, without too many complications.
The preparation is truly within everyone’s reach: cuts are made in the meat, where orange slices and speck are inserted, releasing aroma and flavor during cooking, making the meat tender and tasty. The pork loin then cooks comfortably in the oven, releasing a delicious aroma that fills the kitchen with Christmas atmosphere.
Served with its cooking juices and a nice side dish, the pork loin with orange and speck is a dish that wins over for its balance and simplicity.
Try this recipe and bring to the table a Christmas roast with an intense and irresistible taste!
If you love roasts, here are some other tasty ideas:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 6People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, Christmas
- Energy 270.39 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 2.27 (g) of which sugars 1.48 (g)
- Proteins 40.38 (g)
- Fat 10.20 (g) of which saturated 3.08 (g)of which unsaturated 4.92 (g)
- Fibers 0.46 (g)
- Sodium 397.71 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs pork loin
- 3 oranges (untreated)
- 3.5 oz speck
- Half glass white wine (optional)
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 leaf bay leaf
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Tools
- Baking dish
- Citrus squeezer
- Kitchen twine
- Knife
Preparation
Take the pork loin and, with a sharp knife, make deep transverse cuts, but without cutting all the way through (1).
Salt and pepper the inside of the cuts, or use herb-infused salt if you have it.
Cut one of the oranges into slices, and divide each slice in half. Place 1 or 2 half-slices into each cut, along with a slice of speck (2).
Compact the meat and tie it tightly with kitchen twine.
Grease a baking dish with a little oil, pour in the wine (or a little broth or water) and place the stuffed pork loin in the center. Add a leaf of bay and a sprig of rosemary (3).
Place the roast in a preheated oven at 356°F.
Cook it for about 1 hour – 1 hour and 10 minutes. After half the cooking time, pour the freshly squeezed juice of the remaining two oranges over the pork loin.
At the end, remove the baking dish from the oven and let it cool slightly (4).
The pork loin with orange is ready, remove the twine and slice it. Serve it hot, drizzling with the cooking juices… enjoy your meal!
Tips and Notes
Adjust the cooking times based on the weight of the pork loin. For safety, you can check the internal temperature with a special thermometer; the meat will be cooked around 158°F.
You can flavor it with other aromatic herbs, or with pink peppercorns.
You can thicken the cooking juices with a teaspoon of cornstarch: just dissolve it in a small bowl with a little (cold) juice and then add it to the rest of the liquid.
To get thin and regular slices, I recommend preparing the roast in advance and slicing it when it is well cold.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What side dish can I pair with pork loin with orange?
This roast goes great with potatoes, either baked or mashed. Alternatively, you can pair it with vegetables (cooked or raw) that have a slightly bitter flavor, such as chicory, endive, or arugula.
Can I prepare the pork loin the day before?
Of course, in this case, I recommend storing the meat in the refrigerator, separately from the sauce. Then you just need to slice it while it’s still cold and reheat it with the juices.
