“Pork loin is always delicious. But pork loin is even better when it’s simmered in wine.” That’s what one of our recipe testers had to say about this recipe that takes its flavor from rosemary as well as garlic, mustard, and wine. Did we mention that making it is essentially effortless?–Angie Zoobkoff
Should braising liquid cover the meat?
Nope. When you’re braising anything, you only need it to come about a third of the way up the side of the meat. In this case, less truly is more, as the flavors and fat that exude from the pork or other cut of meat are released into the liquid and mingle to create a resulting pan sauce of astounding flavor. Too much liquid and that flavor would become diluted.
Braised Pork Loin with Rosemary
Ingredients
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 1/4 pounds pork loin, boned
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons (1 oz) unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 3/4 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Cut or snip 1 sprig of rosemary into 1-inch (25-mm) sections and stick the cut rosemary sprigs into the meat at even intervals and tie the pork neatly with kitchen twine. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Remove the needles from the second sprig.
- In a large braising pan or Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the butter and 4 tablespoons oil. Add the pork and cook, turning frequently, until golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, onion, remaining rosemary, wine, salt, and pepper, cover, and gently simmer until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Transfer the pork to a plate, loosely cover it, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Stir the vinegar, 2 tablespoons oil, mustard, and a pinch of pepper into the cooking juices left in the pan. (If the cooking juices seem a little thin, first then let them simmer gently, uncovered, until reduced slightly and then add the vinegar, oil, mustard, and pepper.) Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
- Remove the kitchen twine from the pork, carve the meat into fairly thick slices, and place in a warm serving dish. Pour the sauce over the meat and serve. Originally published April 2, 2018.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Roast pork loin is always delicious. But pork loin is even better when it’s simmered in wine. Simple and flavorful. The roast turned out tender and perfectly done. The aroma of the onions and the wine filled the house and made it hard to wait for it to be cooked. Worth the wait. The meat was tender and perfect to slice. The sauce added another layer of flavor and was delicious on the roast and all the sides. A simple recipe to use any night of the week.
This is a great braised pork loin recipe for weekend dining or a weekday dinner if you have the time. The hands-on time was pretty minimal, most of it cutting or chopping and browning the roast. All in all, I love braised dishes that do most of the work for you. The pork was tender and moist. The vinegar added a bright note to the sauce and the mustard added a depth to the flavor.
The roast and rosemary sauce were so good that one taster (who isn’t particularly fond of pork) went back for seconds. We served the roast with the pan sauce, simple mashed potatoes, a cucumber and tomato salad, and buttered asparagus.
This is a proper “Sunday Supper” braise. It’s simple enough to put together quickly and easily, it smells fantastic as it braises, and the finished dish is delicious—comfort food with a little twist! The sauce has the familiar flavors of a classic vinaigrette dressing but served hot and mixed in with the pan juices it becomes a simple pan sauce that has enough acidity to balance the richness of the pork. I think using fresh rosemary and a crisp white wine (I used a dry Italian Sauvignon Blanc) might be the keys to success here.
There are so few ingredients in this dish that the quality of each component really matters. I was skeptical about braising the pork loin for so long—but the end result was tender and juicy—this may become my new “go to” way to cook a pork loin from now on. Very nice dinner—I’ll do it again—that was sophisticated enough for company but easy and familiar enough for the “meat and potatoes” side of my family, too.
My husband and I tend to eat more pork than beef so when I saw the title and then studied the recipe, I thought this would be something good to try. When he came home, I was in the middle of it and his expression was priceless. His comments were, “The house smell so homey and it reminds me of my own memories back in Portugal.” I agree. The smell in the house was incredible so I knew I was in for a great evening. My dry wine of choice is Pinot Grigio as I like that is not too sweet.
This braised pork loin recipe is so simple to prepare and gives a really impressive end result. I served it to friends and we all enjoyed it immensely. The pork itself was so tender and juicy, but I think my favorite part was the sauce. I love the combination of rosemary and white wine with pork, so this was definitely a dish that appealed to me immediately.
I found the recipe so easy to throw together, it barely took any effort at all. That’s one of the things I look for in a dish– simple but still tasty. I ended up with nearly a cup of sauce, which was enough to cover the pork and the roasted potatoes too. I didn’t make any adjustments to the recipe and likely wouldn’t the next time I make it.
This was delicious. Juicy with wonderful flavor. I will remove fat from gravy next time before serving or adjust to less olive oil.
ida, I’m delighted you enjoyed it!
great recipe but i’d recommend adding carrot or fennel but not both, rekindled my love for pork tenderloin
Appreciate your suggestion, Steven! Thanks!
Me too because I’ve been so disappointed for so long I had stopped making pork tenderloin. I was convinced that the pork today just isn’t the same as 30 years ago.
ida, if you buy pasture-raised, heritage pork, it’s quite similar! Regular pork has been bred to be too lean.
We made this tonight, and I’ve got to say not only is it easy, easy, easy, it’s fantastic. I love one-pot meals, so this was perfect. The pork loin was moist and flavorful, and the sauce–with its bit of acid from the vinegar and the depth the mustard offers–was great. I’m ashamed to say this served only 3 people…it was that good. Five milk bottles from all of us!
Tuck, now THAT is what I love to hear!