The first is to brine the roast; brining helps the roast retain moisture when it cooks. The second is to not overcook the pork. Take the roast out at 140 to 145°F; the internal temperature will still continue to rise 5 or 10 degrees. Much higher and you have shoe leather. The third tip is to pair the roast with a wonderful sauce, as pork is rather mild and fares well with a good sauce. Okay, now that we’ve established the fundamentals, this pork roast with a cardamom onion crust and mushroom sauce is I think, the best pork roast I’ve ever had. Much of this has to do with the fact that the pork was brined overnight and it was cooked to a perfect temperature, the inside still a little pink. But the sauce really takes this roast out of this world. Creamy, mushroom-y, cardamom-y. The recipe is adapted from one in an old Bon Appetit. Who knew that cardamom would work so well in a mushroom cream sauce? This savory sauce is one that I will be making again soon, perhaps next time over chicken breasts.
3/4 cup coarse kosher salt 3/4 cup sugar 1 gallon cold water 1 tablespoon black pepper
Roast:
1 1/2 cups onion, chopped (about 2 medium sized onions), divided into 3 x 1/2 cups 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 1/4 teaspoons ground cardamom, divided, 2 and 1/4 teaspoons 1 large clove garlic 1 4-pound center-cut boneless pork loin roast Salt and pepper 1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, sliced 2 cups chicken stock, divided, 1 cup and 1 cup 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 tablespoons butter, room temperature
Submerge pork in the brine solution and chill for 1 to 2 days. Note that thick, gallon-sized freezer bag is great for brining; if you use one, you probably only need half as much brine solution. Even if you are using a bag, place in a bowl just in case the bag leaks. Rinse the roast thoroughly of the brine solution before cooking, pat dry. Add 1 cup stock and 1/2 cup water to roasting pan. Return roast to oven and roast pork until thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 140°F-145°F, about 15-20 minutes longer. Transfer pork to platter; tent with foil. Cook the sauce, stirring often, until reduced enough to coat spoon. Season sauce with salt and pepper; serve with pork.
