Tuscan Pork Loin

This recipe takes a bit of time to prepare but makes for one great low carb main dish.  Courtesy of FoodNetwork.com.

Ingredients
1 3-pound pork loin, trimmed of fat
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
3/4 cup dry vermouth or white wine
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar

Directions
Tie kitchen string around pork in three places so it doesn’t flatten while roasting. Place salt and garlic in a small bowl and mash with the back of a spoon to form a paste. Stir in oil, rosemary and lemon zest; rub the mixture into the pork. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the pork in a roasting pan. Roast, turning once or twice, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 145 degrees F, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; let rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, add vermouth (or wine) and vinegar to the roasting pan and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the sauce is reduced by half, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the string and slice the roast. Add any accumulated juices to the sauce and serve with the pork.

Roasting Tips

Very cold meat won’t roast evenly. Place it on the counter while preheating the oven.

Durable cotton kitchen string is sold at kitchenware stores, most gourmet markets and large supermarkets. Do not use sewing thread or yarn, which may contain inedible dyes or unsavory chemicals.

A heavy-duty, high-sided roasting pan is essential for conducting heat evenly. Never substitute a cookie sheet. A broiler pan will work in a pinch, but the roast will inevitably be somewhat chewier.

Give it a rest. A roast’s internal temperature will rise about 10 degrees while resting. The natural juices will also reincorporate into the meat’s fibers and the skin or crust will dry out slightly for a more toothsome yet more succulent dinner.

Nutritional Information
Serving size – 3-ounce serving
Calories 221
Carbohydrates 1 g
Protein 24 g
Fat 11 g
Saturated Fat 3 g
Cholesterol 69 g
Monounsaturated Fat 6 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g