Roast Pork with Creamy Parsley Sauce
This roast pork loin is marinated with soy sauce, Dijon mustard, lemon, honey, garlic, and parsley stems, then served with a creamy parsley sauce made from the marinade and chicken stock.
Equipment
- Cutting board and sharp knife
- Measuring spoons and measuring jug
- Food-safe bag or container for marinating
- Large frying pan
- Ovenproof dish
- Meat thermometer
- Saucepan
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Whisk or wooden spoon
- Aluminium foil
Ingredients
For the Pork and Marinade
- 1.5 kg (about 3.3 lb) pork loin
- 5 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 onion finely chopped
- Flaky sea salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- 100 ml (about ⅖ cup) finely chopped parsley stems
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
For the Creamy Parsley Sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- Reserved marinade
- 100 ml (about ⅖ cup) chicken stock
- 300 ml (1¼ cups) heavy cream
- 100 ml (about ⅖ cup) finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1 tbsp honey
- Black pepper to taste
- Salt to taste, if needed
- 1 lemon for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade. Finely chop the onion, garlic, and parsley stems, reserving the parsley leaves for the sauce. Combine them with the soy sauce, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, honey, and black pepper. Taste and add salt if needed.
- Remove any silverskin from the pork loin and trim excess fat if necessary. Place the pork in a large food-safe plastic bag or suitable container and pour in the marinade. Refrigerate for 2–3 hours or overnight, turning the pork occasionally.
- Prepare for roasting. Remove the pork from the refrigerator about 1 hour before cooking. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).
- Brown the pork. Remove the pork from the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels. Reserve the marinade for the sauce. Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan and brown the pork on all sides.
- Roast the pork. Transfer the browned pork to an ovenproof dish and pour the reserved marinade over it. Roast until the centre reaches at least 72°C (162°F), checking with a meat thermometer. The cooking time will depend on the shape and thickness of the loin.
- Rest the pork. Transfer the cooked pork to a plate or board and loosely cover it with foil. Let it rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing. A resting period of around 10–15 minutes is also suitable.
- Start the sauce. While the pork rests, heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the chopped shallots and garlic and cook gently for a few minutes until softened.
- Add the reserved marinade and bring it to a boil. Add the chicken stock and black pepper, then simmer gently for about 5 minutes.
- Finish the sauce. Strain the sauce and return the liquid to the saucepan. Stir in the cream and honey and simmer gently for another 3–5 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in the chopped parsley leaves and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve. Slice the pork thinly and serve with the creamy parsley sauce.
Notes
Marinating: You can marinate the pork for 2–3 hours or leave it in the refrigerator overnight.
Meat thermometer: Check the temperature in the thickest part of the pork loin.
Resting: Resting the pork before slicing helps retain its juices.
Sauce: Simmer the cream sauce gently rather than boiling it vigorously. If it becomes too thick, add a little extra chicken stock or water.
Seasoning: Taste the sauce before adding salt, as the soy sauce and marinade already contribute saltiness.
Serving suggestions: Serve with lemon wedges, oven-baked garlic potatoes, green beans, carrots, or other vegetables.
Meat thermometer: Check the temperature in the thickest part of the pork loin.
Resting: Resting the pork before slicing helps retain its juices.
Sauce: Simmer the cream sauce gently rather than boiling it vigorously. If it becomes too thick, add a little extra chicken stock or water.
Seasoning: Taste the sauce before adding salt, as the soy sauce and marinade already contribute saltiness.
Serving suggestions: Serve with lemon wedges, oven-baked garlic potatoes, green beans, carrots, or other vegetables.