Curtis Stone’s Roasted Pork Loin with Rosemary Salt, Shallots, Potatoes, Carrots, and Parsnips

A proper pork roast, cooked in a pan full of vegetables, gives off a tantalizing, old-fashioned aroma. The combination of meat juices and roasted vegetables is heaven on a plate. As for the rosemary salt, it is a great trick that you can use with other cuts of meat and other herbs. Try a thyme salt on your next roast beef. For extra flavor, order a roast with a 1/4-inch layer of fat on top.

Roasted Pork Loin with Rosemary Salt, Shallots, Potatoes, Carrots, and Parsnips

(Makes 6 servings)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds medium Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
• 1 pound shallots, cut in half
• 3 carrots, cut crosswise on the diagonal into 2-inch pieces
• 3 parsnips (the same size as the carrots), peeled and cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (hot or sweet)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• One 2 ½-pound boneless pork loin roast, preferably with top layer of fat still intact
• ⅔ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Put potatoes, shallots, carrots, parsnips, and garlic in large heavy roasting pan, sprinkle with smoked paprika, and toss with 3 tablespoons of olive oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Spread vegetables evenly over bottom of pan. Place 2 rosemary sprigs on top.
3. Finely chop enough of remaining 2 rosemary sprigs to equal 2 teaspoons. In small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon salt and chopped rosemary. Rub mixture together with your fingertips for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.
4. Using sharp knife, score fat that covers top of pork by cutting shallow slashes (about ¼ inch deep) at 1-inch intervals, cutting into fat but not flesh. Rub pork all over with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Rub rosemary salt all over pork, working it into score marks, if desired, tie pork crosswise with kitchen twine in three or four places to help maintain its shape while roasting.
5. Place pork fat side up on top of bed of vegetables. Roast for about 40 minutes, or until pork is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into center reads 125°F. Transfer pork to serving platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing (pork will continue to cook as it rests).
6. Meanwhile, stir vegetables in pan and continue roasting them for about 10 minutes, or until tender and golden brown. Transfer vegetables to the platter with pork.
7. Add broth to hot roasting pan and bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring with wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits in bottom of pan. Season with salt and pepper. Pour pan juices into sauceboat.
8. Untie pork if necessary. Slice pork and serve it with roasted vegetables and pan juices.

Recipe from What’s for Dinner?: Delicious Recipes for a Busy Life © 2013 Curtis Stone, published by Random House; photo © Quentin Bacon.