I love this recipe for pork loin. I am sure you have looked at pork loins in the grocery store meat section and wondered how to even go about cooking a pork loin. My sister in law, Amber gave me this recipe years ago. It has always turns out great! It doesn’t turn out overcooked and dry like many pork dishes tend to turn out. This recipe is my go to when I want to cook something great for company that is also easy. It takes a total of about 35 minutes start to finish. The prep time is minimal, simply a few minutes. It is baked in the oven at 500 degrees for 22-23 minutes.
Here is how to make Amber’s Pork Loin:
Step 1: Buy a pork loin. Here is the size I bought, and what this recipe is based upon. It was 1.85 lbs. At most grocery stores they have these pork loins that are preseasoned like this one, which happens to be “Applewood Smoke Bacon” flavored. I have used just about every pork loin preseasoned flavor that is for sale and all have turned out great with this recipe.
Step 2: Pre-heat the over to BAKE at 500 degrees (that’s not a typo, and I don’t mean broil). Place the pork loin on a cookie sheet that has been greased. I always line my pan with foil, so clean up is easy. I simply sprayed my foil bottom with canola cooking spray. I then put granulated garlic (like garlic powder) all over the pork loin. Even though it has been preseasoned, it is always better with garlic. If I buy a pork loin that hasn’t been preseasoned I use more garlic, salt, and pepper.
Step 3: Drizzle the top of the pork loin generously with olive oil. I would guess I used around 1/4 cup of olive oil.
Step 4: Once the oven is preheated, then put it in to bake on the middle rack for 22-23 minutes. Try not to open the oven door while cooking, as it lets out a great deal of heat (especially when it’s all the way up to 500 degrees). Just use your oven light when checking on it. Of course you will want to check that it is fully cooked (with a meat thermometer) when removing it from the oven. Pork needs to reach an inner temperature of 145 degrees. It was previously 160 degrees, per regulation by the USDA, but the USDA changed it to 145 degrees. They also say it can be a little pink and it is cooked! Here is the low down on that information: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2011-05-24-cooking-pork_n.htm
Step 5: After it is fully cooked and removed from the oven, you will want to cover it with foil and leave it for 10 minutes. I place pot holders on top for additional insulation.
Step 6: Once the 10 minutes is up, you can then slice and serve. I sometimes serve this with a side of applesauce. With the plain pork loin (has not been preseasoned) I will serve it with a raspberry chipolte sauce that I purchase at Costco. It is great by itself too, which is how I served it up last night.
