Rubbed and Studded Pork Loin! What could be Better?!

While you are rushing around and enjoying the summer sunshine, take a break and prepare this heady, soul-satisfying pork roast. Known to us from the ad world as “the other white meat,” a pork loin roast is lean and delicious on it’s own, but even better spiced with a dry rub full of black pepper, garlic, rosemary and smoked paprika.

The double flavor-whammy in this recipe is that you are studding the roast with fresh garlic and rosemary before coating it with the dry spices. The inside herbs echo the flavor of the rub so they will be infused through the whole roast. The rub will caramelize on the outside and form a crust and the garlic and rosemary will get soft and scent the juicy meat. Besides, the slices look extra cool with little bits of rosemary and garlic buried into the meat. I love this pork roast served with Sweet Potato Chipolte Puree for dinner but make enough for leftovers, it makes a killer Cuban Sandwich the next day!

Rosemary and Garlic Rubbed and Studded Pork Roast

Grilling Method: Indirect/Medium Heat

1  tablespoon black peppercorns

1  tablespoon granulated garlic

2  tablespoons dried rosemary

2  tablespoons kosher salt

2  tablespoons sweet paprika

2  tablespoons smoked paprika

1  3-4 pound pork loin roast

1  small head garlic, peeled and cut into slivers

6-8  sprigs fresh rosemary, divided and soaked in water

Olive oil

Combine first five ingredients and grind in a spice grinder or mortar; set aside. Using a paring knife, cut a series of slits at least 2 inches apart into the roast. Insert garlic into half the holes and part of a sprig rosemary into the others. Coat the roast with a thin coating of olive oil and sprinkle generously with the spice rub. Place the roast (fat side up) in center of cooking grate on a bed of the remaining rosemary. Grill for one hour or until an instant-read meat thermometer reaches 155°F. Remove pork from roasting pan. Let meat rest for 10 minutes. Cut pork into thin slices and serve with Mashed Sweet Potatoes.

Serves 6-8

Rubbed and Studded! What could be Better?!

Elizabeth