Paprika Marinated Pork Loin Roast

While I have many culinary influences (you can check on the lower right hand side of this blog), the one culinary influence whose work that I perhaps enjoy the most is Andrew Zimmern.  Andrew has an incredible story about how he entered into the world of cooking and cuisine, which I have heard him speak about in the past.  What I enjoy the most about Andrew Zimmern's work is his love for not just the cuisine, but the people and cultures behind the food.  That is one of the reasons why I am such an avid watcher of his shows, like Bizarre Foods.  

Not only do I watch the shows, but I also follow Andrew's website and Facebook page.  From time to time, he posts recipes on his Facebook page, like this one for a Paprika Marinated Pork Loin Roast, which inevitably ends up in my Facebook timeline.  I often share those recipes on the Chef Bolek Facebook page.  The sharing operates like a "bookmark," allowing me to note a recipe that I want to cook, like that pork loin roast recipe

The Paprika Marinated Pork Loin Roast recipe is not one of Andrew's own recipes.  Instead, it is a recipe by Alexandra Raij, and it comes from her book entitled The Basque Book.  The cuisine of Basque country has always intrigued me.  The Basque spend more than twice as much of their disposable income on food than Americans, which suggests a love of food.  And Basque food is very good food.  While the Basque have always viewed themselves as being different from the rest of Spain, this recipe highlights some commonalities ... like pork and paprika.

While I could go on about these cuisines (which would make a great Around the World in 80 Dishes post), I think it is time to focus on this recipe.  My beautiful Angel bought a large pork loin for me from a local store, which provided me with the perfect roast to make this recipe.  The recipe itself it fairly easy.  Two rubs -- a garlic rub and a paprika rub -- and then roast the pork loin.  The easiness belies the delicious end product, which was truly an amazing pork dish.  

PAPRIKA MARINATED PORK LOIN ROAST

Recipe from Alexandra Raij and
available at andrewzimmern.com

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 cup of kosher salt

10 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup of water

1 boneless pork loin roast (about 5 pounds)

1/4 cup Spanish paprika (hot)

1/4 cup Spanish paprika (sweet)

1/3 cup olive oil

Directions:

1.  Prepare the garlic rub.  Combine the salt and garlic cloves in a food processor and pulse until you have a rough paste, about 15 times, then add the water, a little at a time, pulsing to form a thick but smooth paste.  Rub the past onto the pork roast, covering evenly and cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Rinse off the garlic paste and pat the pork dry.  

2.  Prepare the paprika marinade.  In a small bowl, stir together the hot and sweet paprikas, then stir in the oil to make a paste.  Smear a thin layer over the pork loin and wrap the pork loin in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate overnight.

3.  Roast the pork loin.  Let the pork loin come to room temperature.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.   Unwrap the loin and scrape off any excess paprika paste to keep it from burning.  Place the loin in a baking dish or a roasting pan with a rack, place in the oven and immediately turn down the heat to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.  Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour and 25 minutes, until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the loin registers 145 degrees Fahrenheit.  The timing will depend upon the thickness of the cut.

4.  Finish the dish.  Let the meat rest for 10 minutes, tented with foil, then slice and serve immediately.

ENJOY!