Bacon and Ginger Pork Loin
Hi Everyone. It's time for this month's Secret Recipe Club, where each month, a group of bloggers are assigned a blog, and we get to choose a recipe from that blog to feature on our own blogs, then we all reveal our assigned blogs on the same day.
This month I was assigned the blog: WildFlour's Cottage Kitchen by Kelly. Oh my, did I have a hard time picking a recipe to feature from Kelly's wonderful blog. There were so many yummy things to choose from. Pork Tenderloin with Chipotle Peach BBQ Sauce (I love all things chipotle), Cheesy BBQ Pulled Pork Party Ring (did someone say CHEESE?), Authentic Pork Egg Rolls (If I had had more time...), but in the end, I chose Bacon Wrapped Gingersnap Pork Loin (has anyone picked up on a theme here?).
The roast was delicious, and it looks so pretty. I'd say company worthy for sure. Thanks, Kelly!
To begin, lay down a large piece of foil (I used nonstick foil - it's awesome!). Add two rows of bacon, shingling the pieces top to bottom, and overlapping slightly in the middle.
Center the pork roast on the bacon, now read the recipe instructions and realize you were supposed to flip the roast over to coat the bottom first.
So roll the roast over and coat it liberally with mustard, followed by a half of the crumb mixture that I forgot to get a photo of. Also, I missed the next couple photos because my hands were covered in mustard and crumbs.....
...but after both sides of the roast are coated in mustard and crumbs, wash your hands and wrap the bacon roast, criss-crossing the pieces as you go. When you're done, place the whole thing on a roasting rack sitting in a large roasting pan.
The foil is pulled up over the roast without being sealed (so steam can escape during cooking).
When 45 minutes have passed, the foil is opened up so the bacon can crisp while the roast continues cooking for 35-45 minutes (internal temp should reach 155F, then rest until it rises to 160F before slicing).
Items used to make this recipe:
(affiliate links)
nonstick foil https://amzn.to/3usuReH
turkey roasting pan with rack https://amzn.to/3GdH88M
oven probe thermometer https://amzn.to/3ANAx42
Bacon and Ginger Pork Loin
Ingredients
3 1/2 pound pork loin roast
12 gingersnap cookies, broken
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1 pound high quality thick-cut bacon
freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375F.
Lay a 20-inch wide strip of nonstick foil on a work surface.
On top of the foil, line up two rows of bacon, shingling each row and overlapping slightly in the middle where the two rows meet.
In a food processor, process the gingersnaps to fine crumbs; add dark brown sugar and pulse until well mixed.
Coat bottom (side without the fat cap) of roast with 1 tablespoon mustard, followed by half of the crumb mixture; place bottom side down over the center seam of the two rows of bacon.
Repeat the mustard and crumb/mixture on the top of the roast (the side with the fat cap).
Start wrapping the bacon over the roast, one slice at a time, criss-crossing as you go until all the bacon is used.
Sprinkle liberally with freshly ground black pepper.
Place a roasting rack in a large roasting pan (I like to use a v-shaped roasting rack).
Lift roast by it's foil sling and transfer to the roasting rack.
Bring up sides of the foil and fold together to cover the bacon but don't seal them closed so excess steam can escape in the oven.
Bake for 45 minutes, remove from oven, open foil and continue to bake for 35-45 minutes or until an internal temperature of 155F is reached.
Allow roast to rest for 10-15 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 145F; slice and serve.
Notes
I noticed the rendered bacon fat didn't drain away from my roast while it was in the oven, which resulted in soggy bottom bacon.
Next time I'll pierce the foil a number of times so the rendered fat can drain away during the roasting process.