Pork loin can be one of those dishes that will test your patience. If you over cook it, be prepared for a dry experience; if you don’t spice it up right, a bland one. I have always assumed this is why that particular cut of meat is cheaper than most of the other pork cuts. I am of course referring to the center cut loin, not the tenderloin.

This recipe has gotten me through many a dinner with wows and exclamations on the flavor and juiciness.

Ingredients:

• 1 3-5 lbs. pork loin (not tenderloin).
• 3 cloves of garlic minced.
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary (about 2 tablespoons) chopped fine.
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme.
• 5-8 slices smoked bacon (the good kind that you get at a deli or butcher, preferrably apple wood smoked bacon).
• About 3-4 cups chicken stock or broth.
• About 3 tablespoons of flour.
• Extra virgin olive oil.
• Salt and pepper.

Preheat your oven to 225.

Take the garlic, rosemary, and thyme and if you have a small food processor, process until well combined. Add olive oil slowly until it forms a liquidy paste. About 1/4 cup.

Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the pork loin.

Heat a dutch oven or any other heavy pot (that has a lid and can be used in the oven) on your stove to medium high heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil starts smoking, add the loin, fat side down to the pan and sear until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn, sear the other side. Remove from pan and let pan and meat cool about 5 minutes.

Taking the garlic, rosemary, thyme and olive oil mixture, rub all over the loin. Place the strips of bacon on top until it is covered. Sprinkle bacon with pepper. Place back in the pot and pour chicken stock AROUND the loin (not on top) until the liquid comes half way up the meat. Don’t cover the meat with liquid. Place the lid on the pot and put in the preheated oven and cook for 5 hours.

Remove gently from the pot and let rest for 15 minutes. In the meantime, pour the liquid from the pot into a bowl. Place the pot back on the stove and heat to medium and add three tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle in about three tablespoons of flour and stir with a wooden spoon . This is called making a roux (rue). You want the oil and flour to combine to a kind of peanut butter consistency, so you may need to add a little more oil, or flour to get that. Cook for about 3-4 minutes as this gets rid of the starchy flour taste.

With a whisk, SLOWLY add back the liquid you reserved, whisking vigorously. Once the liquid comes to a boil, you will get an idea on how thick the sauce will be. Add more chicken stock if you think it is too thick, sift more flour in if too thin.

Slice the loin into servings, put bacon on the side and cover each serving with the gravy.