My mom used to make a boneless pork butt and gravy for one of our Sunday dinner staples. However, She Who Must Be Obeyed has suggested that pork loin is leaner and I could use a little less fat in my diet. I started cooking pork loin roasts. I use some liquid in the pan to avoid the lean meat from drying out and make the gravy with whitewash (flour and water) instead of a fat roux. It has become popular for a Sunday dinner.
I usually do it in the oven but I thought it might be pretty good in my Traeger Timberline.
I started by cutting up one large carrot, a celery rib and 1/4 of an onion into chunks and put them in a roasting pan. Then I added two cloves of garlic to the roasting pan.
I had a 1 kg (2 pound) pork loin roast and made up a marinade to inject into the pork:
I rubbed the surface of the roast with:
Leave the roast on a rack for the surface to dry a bit.
In the meantime, I preheated my Traeger Timberline to 425 F (220 C). I put the roasting pan with the vegetables in the smoker for 30 minutes.
I added 500 ml (2 cups) of chicken stock to the roasting pan and put the pork loin in the pan. I reduced the heat in the smoker to 350 F (175 C) and smoked the roast to an internal temperature of 150 F (65 C) which took about 1 hour 15 minutes.
I brought the pan and roast inside.
I put the roast on a carving board and tented it with foil.
I strained the liquid from the roasting pan and defatted. With most pork loin roasts, there will be very little fat. I added enough water to make the liquid up to 375 ml (1 1/2 cups).
I put 125 ml (1/2 cup) of cold water in a sealable container and sprinkled 50 ml (1/4 cup) of flour over the water. I closed the container and shook for a couple of minutes until the flour was mixed and there were no lumps.
I put the pan juices in the saucepan over medium high heat and whisked the flour mixture into the juices. Heat until thickened and simmer a couple of more minutes.
Put the gravy in a serving boat.
Carve the roast and serve with the gravy.
The Verdict
The lean loin roast was nice and moist, just like the oven version. The marinade gave a bit of complexity but the soy did cause some staining but not too bad. The touch of smoke also added to the flavour. The gravy was delicious.
It is good to know I can cook a classic Sunday dinner in the smoker without heating up the house. I will be using this regularly during the summer.
Disco
I usually do it in the oven but I thought it might be pretty good in my Traeger Timberline.
I started by cutting up one large carrot, a celery rib and 1/4 of an onion into chunks and put them in a roasting pan. Then I added two cloves of garlic to the roasting pan.
I had a 1 kg (2 pound) pork loin roast and made up a marinade to inject into the pork:
- 50 ml (1/4 cup) chicken stock
- 10 ml (2 teaspoon) soy sauce
- 10 ml (2 teaspoon) Worcestershire Sauce
I rubbed the surface of the roast with:
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) thyme
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) savory
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) rosemary
Leave the roast on a rack for the surface to dry a bit.
In the meantime, I preheated my Traeger Timberline to 425 F (220 C). I put the roasting pan with the vegetables in the smoker for 30 minutes.
I added 500 ml (2 cups) of chicken stock to the roasting pan and put the pork loin in the pan. I reduced the heat in the smoker to 350 F (175 C) and smoked the roast to an internal temperature of 150 F (65 C) which took about 1 hour 15 minutes.
I brought the pan and roast inside.
I put the roast on a carving board and tented it with foil.
I strained the liquid from the roasting pan and defatted. With most pork loin roasts, there will be very little fat. I added enough water to make the liquid up to 375 ml (1 1/2 cups).
I put 125 ml (1/2 cup) of cold water in a sealable container and sprinkled 50 ml (1/4 cup) of flour over the water. I closed the container and shook for a couple of minutes until the flour was mixed and there were no lumps.
I put the pan juices in the saucepan over medium high heat and whisked the flour mixture into the juices. Heat until thickened and simmer a couple of more minutes.
Put the gravy in a serving boat.
Carve the roast and serve with the gravy.
The Verdict
The lean loin roast was nice and moist, just like the oven version. The marinade gave a bit of complexity but the soy did cause some staining but not too bad. The touch of smoke also added to the flavour. The gravy was delicious.
It is good to know I can cook a classic Sunday dinner in the smoker without heating up the house. I will be using this regularly during the summer.
Disco