Spicy Roast Pork Recipe

In this recipe, the roast is marinated with fragrant spices. It’s an unusual but delicious way to prepare pork. Baste every 10 minutes during the last 30 minutes of roasting with the orange currant glaze.

Credit: iStockphoto.com/og-vision

Yield: 6 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes; 1-1/2 to 24 hours marinating time

Cooking time: 1-1/2 hours

Spice meter: Moderately spiced

3 plump cloves garlic, minced

1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced

3/4 teaspoon dry English mustard

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne or ground chile pepper powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar

3 pounds boneless pork loin roast, trimmed of most fat

1. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients except the pork, and stir to mix.

2. Prick the pork all over with a fork and place it in a shallow baking dish. Rub the spice mixture evenly on the meat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1-1/2 hours or overnight.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the meat from the refrigerator and let it stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before roasting.

4. Bake the pork until a meat or instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F, about 1-1/2 hours. After the roast is cooked, let the meat stand for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

Make orange currant glaze. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine 3/4 cup currant jelly, 1/3 cup orange juice, and 3 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar, stirring until the jelly is melted. Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water and stir well.

Add the cornstarch mixture to the jelly mixture and stir. Cook until the sauce thickens only slightly, about 2 minutes. Reheat the sauce over low heat, as necessary, to keep it runny enough for basting. Serve heated orange currant sauce on the side.

Make grilled or broiled spiced pork tenderloin. Rub the spice mixture in Step 1 on two 1 to 1-1/2 pound pork tenderloins and then marinate for 2 to 24 hours. Broil or grill the tenderloins, turning often, until they’re browned on all sides and their internal temperature on an instant-read thermometer is between 150 and 155 degrees F, about 10 to 15 minutes.

They will still be slightly pink inside. Let them stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Note that while they stand the temperature should rise to 155 to 160 degrees F.

Per serving: Calories 368 (From Fat 149); Fat 17g (Saturated 6g); Cholesterol 138mg; Sodium 443mg; Carbohydrate 2g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 49g.