Loin of Pork with Fennel and Garlic

This week's Barefoot Blogger recipe is Ina's Roasted Onions (check back Thursday for the update and review!) I knew I wanted to make a whole meal around that dish. I was thinking pork and my grocery store must have been in sync because they had this perfect loin of pork which was beautifully frenched in the case. This dish makes a very elegant presentation with very little effort. The crust adds a great flavor to the pork. I used fresh thyme instead of rosemary since I had that on hand. I also adjusted the proportions since my pork loin was only 2 lbs. I cooked mine past 140 degrees since I don't like my pork pink inside.

Loin of Pork with Fennel and Garlic

• 1 (5-pound) loin of pork, bone in,"frenched" and tied
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Allow the pork to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Place the pork, fat side up, in a roasting pan just large enough to hold it comfortably. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade process the garlic, rosemary, lemon zest, and fennel seeds until roughly chopped. Add the olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper and process until it forms a smooth paste. Rub the paste on top of the pork and roast for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F. Remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, and cover with aluminum foil. Allow to sit for 20 minutes, then remove the strings, slice between the bones and serve warm.

Source: Ina Garten/Food Network.