Loin of Pork with Lemon and Sage

This is a recipe inspired by Gordon Ramsay on his UK show "The F-Word."

In his version, he has a pork loin that has the thick, fatty skin on the outside. Unfortunately, I was not able to find this at the store, and so I opted to use pork tenderloin. My final product will not have the crispy crackling, but it will get the job done.

Take the pork loin and make a single slice into the middle of it to open it up. Pat it dry and lay it flat. Lay down a healthy amount of lemon zest, fresh sage, slivered garlic, fresh parsley, olive oil, and some salt and pepper.

Carefully roll the pork tightly and secure with string. I couldn't find any cotton string at the grocery store I frequent so I was forced to use toothpicks to keep it together. Worse, I only had colored toothpicks which discolor the meat. Avoid this if you can! Score any fat on the outside of the lion with a sharp knife. Season the outside with more olive oil and salt  and pepper. I also added a touch of extra garlic, lemon zest, and parsley since I had leftover. Place into a baking dish.

Into a hot oven for 45 minutes. When it's done cooking let it rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting.

Now remove the meat string. (toothpicks) and slice it  into nice, thick, portions.

Although it is just fine to eat on it's own, I chose to serve it with some rice.

The next part is optional, but to keep it interesting, I added a simple sauce to pour over the top of the meat and rice. Just combine white wine, chicken stock, some of that fresh sage, a squeeze of lemon juice into your sauce pan and reduce. Finish it with a bit of heavy cream and a knob of butter. Pour liberally over the pork and rice.

Ideally, the meat should be very tender and moist. The inside seasoning should be soft and fragrant. I hope to make this again sometime soon with pork that has the skin on it. The added texture of crispy crackling would really make this dish stand out.