Cranberry Pork Loin with Potatoes

My local market has a buy one, get one free offer on pork loin every now and again. Since this is already an inexpensive cut in meat, the deal is too irresistible to pass up. I usually buy a few, cooking one for dinner that week and tossing the others in the freezer for future dinners. Keeping the freezer stocked means I’m always prepared to whip up a tasty meal. And that’s exactly how this dinner came to be.

At the last minute, my husband informs me that he’s invited friends over for dinner. I have two days to get my act together. The house needs cleaning, I need to plan the meal, get the groceries, prepare the meal, and, in the end, relax and host dinner. No worries. I got this.

I pulled a pork loin out of the freezer. Sent hubby to the store to buy cranberry sauce and potatoes because I already had everything else on hand. A quick once over to knock the high spots off was good enough for me — who has time to clean, right!?

Time to cook. Absolutely no stress the day of the dinner. It took less than 15 minutes to prepare the pork for roasting. To make things even simpler, I tossed the potatoes in with the pork loin to cook knowing the loin will produce a flavorful juice for the potatoes to cook in. While the roast is cooking, I toss the sauce ingredients into a pan to simmer.

In about an hour, I have succulent pork loin with golden brown crusted potatoes. I sliced up the pork and topped it with sweet and tangy cranberry sauce. Wow, it looked like a fancy gourmet meal and tasted even better. Everyone enjoyed our time together that night, and the meal got rave reviews.

Et voilà. Succès!

Worry-Free Cooking

• Overcooked or undercooked pork is never a good thing. Be sure to test for doneness using an instant digital meat thermometer. Pork is cooked and ready to serve when the center temperature reaches 145° F.
• You’ll need a roasting pan that can go from the stovetop to the oven with ease. I use my Nonstick Roasting Pan all the time. It’s non-stick surface cleans up well and cooks evenly.
• A 2-quart Nonstick Saucepan is ideal for cooking the cranberry sauce. Built to last a lifetime, this heavy duty pan goes from the stovetop to an oven up to 500° F. A workhorse in the kitchen for sure.

Menu Planning

• Complete the meal with a small side salad and a veggie like steamed broccoli or fresh green beans. A basket full of dinner rolls is always a wonderful idea, and they’re especially good to soak up and enjoy the sweet and tangy cranberry sauce.
• This recipe makes a lot of sauce, and you won’t want to leave it in the pan when serving. Be sure to put some in a serving bowl on the table so everyone can add more to their liking.
• Leftovers make a terrific meal the next day. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to four days.
• While this meal is easy to make for busy weeknights or dinner parties, it’s especially good for holidays. Serve pork instead of — or together with — turkey for Thanksgiving or Easter. Delicious!
• This is an elegant and impressive dish, especially when served at the table on a porcelain oval platter or a natural bamboo platter. Perfect for guests and the holidays.
• This is easily a make ahead meal if you prepare without the potatoes. Simply cook the pork loin the night before. Cover and store in the refrigerator. Prepare the cranberry sauce, as directed, on dinner night. Place the cooked pork loin in the roasting pan and cover with the cranberry sauce. Bake at 300° F until warm and bubbly. Super simple, super delicious. (Note, you can also prepare the potatoes on dinner night following the directions below, separately from the pork loin.)

Drink Pairings

• The cranberry sauce is the most prominent flavors in this dish, which is why I chose to serve my favorite Riesling with dinner. This type of sweeter, less acidic white wine balances the tartness in this dish best. You may want to try a Chardonnay or, on the red-side, a light-bodied wine like Pinot Noir.

Helping Hand

• There is a difference between pork loin and pork tenderloin, so be sure you’re using a pork loin for this recipe. The loin is larger and better suited for roasting. In a pinch, you can use a tenderloin if needed. Be careful, though, it will cook much faster and dry out easier than the pork loin.
• Sweet potatoes are an excellent substitute for the new potatoes. Peel the potatoes and cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces, then follow the same directions. The complementary taste of the sweet potatoes, along with their coloring, will take this dish to a whole new level.
• Canned cranberry sauce typically comes in two varieties: whole berry and jellied. While either will work for this recipe, I do recommend the whole berry variety. The berries give a little extra tanginess that complement the pork loin so well.
• Prefer fresh berries over canned. No problem. You can easily create fresh cranberry sauce. Add one cup of sugar and a 12-ounce bag of fresh berries to one cup of boiling water. Continue boiling for about five minutes or until the berries pop. If using this in place of canned cranberries, omit the honey.

Grocery & Gourmet

• Choose whole berry cranberry sauce for the best taste results.
• Remember to serve with white wine that balances the sweet and tart flavors in this dish. 

Cranberry Pork Loin with Potatoes

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Category

Main Dish

Cuisine

American

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

55 minutes

Topped with a sweet and tangy cranberries, this succulent pork loin is incredibly easy to make any day of the week, yet fancy enough to serve dinner guests and festive enough for holidays.

Ingredients

• Pork Loin

• 3-½ to 4 pounds boneless pork loin

• ¼ cup olive oil, divided

• 2 pounds small new potatoes, cleaned and halved
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

• Cranberry Sauce

• 3 14-ounce whole berry cranberry sauce

• ¼ cup soy sauce

• ¼ cup brown sugar

• ¼ cup honey

• ¼ cup Dijon mustard

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Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.

2. Place potatoes in a 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bag. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper to the bag. Close bag tightly, and gently toss bag until all potatoes fully covered in seasonings. Set aside.
3. Salt and pepper all sides of the pork loin.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large roasting pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat. When oil is hot and beginning to smoke, add the pork and sear until golden brown on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate.
5. Add potatoes to the pan and cook about 3 to 5 until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
6. Place the pork, fat side up, on top of the potatoes and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake, uncovered, for about 40 minutes.
7. While pork loin is roasting, add cranberries, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, and mustard to large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Lower heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken as it cooks.

8. When roast registers 145° F in center using a thermometer, transfer to a serving plate and cover with foil. Let the pork rest for 10 minutes before slicing and pouring cranberry sauce across the top.

9. Serve with the potatoes, along with a side bowl of extra cranberry sauce.

Serve and enjoy!