The idea of roasting a pork loin in 5 lbs of salt may seem a little crazy, and that is because it is. The whole concept seems like it would doom the pork to be an over-salted piece of jerky. Amazingly though, it actually works!
Salt roasting is actually a pretty versatile technique which would be great for any solid piece of meat, such as steak, fish fillet, chicken breast, etc. All you do is create a paste out of salt, herbs and a little bit of water; then cover your choice of meat with the paste and roast. You can even add some vegetables for a perfectly seasoned side. The salt paste forms a hard crust as it bakes, which traps in some of the meat’s moisture, preventing it from drying out. As the meat bakes it draws in some of the salt, but somehow manages not to get overly salty.
We made the night a little more Spanish by whipping up a garlic dipping sauce for the potatoes, serving the pork loin with thinly sliced Serrano ham on top, and rounding it out with a Catalan style sautéed spinach salad.
Salt Baked Pork Loin
From: LA Times
Note: The pork may be seared in advance.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons snipped rosemary leaves
- 6 cups coarse salt
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 (1 1/4 -pound) pork tenderloin
- 1 pound fingerling potatoes, scrubbed but unpeeled
Directions:
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the rosemary and the salt in a large mixing bowl and stir in 1 cup of water until the texture is that of gritty snow.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil until the surface ripples. Pat the pork tenderloin dry with paper towels and sear it in the hot oil until it is browned on all sides, about 8 minutes.
- While the pork is browning, spoon a layer of salt about one-fourth-inch thick in the bottom of a gratin or baking dish just big enough to hold the pork and the potatoes in a single layer.
- When the pork is browned, pat it dry with a paper towel to remove any excess oil and place it in the gratin dish, laying it down the center. Arrange the potatoes around the outside and cover everything with the remaining salt.
- Roast until the pork until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees, about 20 to 25 minutes. At this point, the pork will be quite moist but still a little pink. If you prefer the pork to be more cooked, push the temperature to 150, about 5 more minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and set aside 5 minutes to finish cooking.
- With a sturdy metal spoon or chef’s knife, chip a crack around the base of the salt crust and carefully lift off the top. Use a dry pastry brush to brush away any salt on the surface of the potatoes or the pork, turning the pork over to brush all sides. Transfer the pork to a carving board. Slice the pork into medallions one-fourth-inch thick and arrange on a serving platter.
Spinach, Catalan Style
From:
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 golden delicious apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4″ cubes
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup seedless dark raisins
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 10 ounces baby spinach, washed
Directions:
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over a high flame. When the oil is very hot, add the apple cubes and cook until they are a little browned, less than 1 minute. Add the pine nuts and cook until they are brown, about 20 seconds. Keep the pot moving so the nuts don’t burn. Add the raisins and the 1/2 teaspoon salt, and stir together.
- Add the spinach, mix, and saute very fast until it starts to wilt. Then remove the pot from the heat; the spinach will continue to wilt off the heat. Add salt to taste, and serve immediately.
We picked up this bottle of Malbec during our trip to Argentina. Its spiciness went very well with the Mojo Verde sauce for the potatoes.
Mojo Verde
From:
Ingredients:
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup well packed chopped cilantro leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/4 cup Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
Directions:
- Using mortar and pestle, mash the garlic and salt together until you have a smooth paste. Rotate the mortar while you mash, scraping down the garlic from the sides with the pestle.
- Add the cilantro and cumin and keep mashing until the ingredients are well combined.
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil as you continue to mash the paste, making sure the olive oil is absorbed. Drizzle in 1 teaspoon of water and the vinegar.
- Turn the pestle with a slow continuous circular motion around the mortar as you drizzle the liquids into the sauce. Keep the sauce at room temperature until ready to use.
