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The following recipe and photography is courtesy of Graham R. and his dog, Carl. For more of their delicious food ventures, visit them on Instagram @cookingwithcarrrl.
Life gave me lemons, but I traded them for oranges and grapefruits.
Today’s lesson is all about injections. Not for your wrinkles, but for your pork! One of my favorite ways to add moisture and flavor to slow-roasted meat is with an injection. It’s also a great crutch to use when cooking leaner meats, like pork loin! The added moisture keeps the roast juicy and brings out a new level of flavor.
The injection in this recipe is full of citrus flavor to get us thinking of spring! Made from a base of fresh orange and grapefruit juice, it’s also swimming with herbs. If you want all the flavor of fresh-squeezed juice but don’t want to bust out the juicer, swing by Heinen’s Produce Department and snag a few bottles of their fresh-squeezed orange and grapefruit juice. The orange juice is the best I’ve ever had and works wonders as an injection shortcut! This juice, mixed with fragrant fresh herbs, is a perfect match for a Heinen’s pork loin roast. The citrus notes blend with the meat to create a sweet bite unlike anything you’ve ever experienced.
As with most of my recipes, this is just a starting point! Play around with the injection ingredients to create custom flavors that cater to your preferences. Then you’ll get to take all the credit for it!
Interested in making this recipe? Order the ingredients online for Curbside Grocery Pickup or Delivery.
- Cook time:
- 80min
- Prep time:
- 20min
- Total time:
- 100min
- Servings:
- 8
Ingredients
For the Pork Roast
- 3-4 lb. pork loin roast
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp. chopped thyme
- 1 Tbsp. chopped rosemary
- 1/2 Tbsp. salt
- 2 tsp. fresh orange zest
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. onion powder
For the Citrus Injection
- Juice of 1/2 orange
- Juice of 1/4 grapefruit
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. maple syrup or brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. water
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 1 tsp. thyme
- 1 tsp. rosemary
- 1 grapefruit peel
- 1 orange peel
For the Garlic Noodles
- 1/2 package of spaghetti noodles
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots
- 1/2 white onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
- 1 tsp. Sriracha
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
Instructions
- First, prepare the injection. Place all of the injection ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. You can skip this step, but I highly recommend bringing the injection to a boil and allowing all the flavors to come together.
- Remove the pork loin from the wrapping and pat dry with a paper towel. Score the fat cap with a sharp knife. This will help the fat crisp up and allow the rub to go deep into the roast.
- In a small bowl, combine the herbs, orange zest, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. Rub and press the mixture into the roast.
- Once the injection has cooled, transfer it into an injector. Inject the roast every 1 1/2 inches with a Tbsp. of the injection. You can eyeball this as it’s not crucial to get the exact amount in each injection. You will most likely have some remaining, discard it. Cover the roast and place into the refrigerator for an hour or up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F and heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear every side of the roast in the skillet, 2 minutes a side.
- Place the roast in a roasting pan and pour the drippings from the skillet on top. Place into the oven for an hour. After an hour, check the internal temperature using an instant-read thermometer. If your roast is not at 145˚F, continue roasting in 5 minute increments until the desired temperature is reached.
- Remove the roast from the oven and allow it to rest for a minimum of 15 minutes. This is the perfect amount of time to whip up some garlic noodles.
- Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Save a few Tbsp. of the starchy water.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add the onions. While those are cooking, whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, Sriracha, garlic, brown sugar and sesame oil in a separate bowl.
- After 5 minutes, add the carrots and two spoonfuls of the sauce to the skillet with the onions. Cook for 3 minutes, then add the noodles, reserved water and remaining sauce. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
- Slice the roast into ½-inch thick slices and serve on top of the noodles. Enjoy!
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