Honey Mustard Pork Roast

When I saw this pork sirloin roast on sale for $1.99 per pound, I just had to get it!  A couple months ago I tried a new pork roast recipe on Robbie and he loved it, so I thought I’d treat him by making it again.  This is one of those recipes that is a hybrid of a bunch of different recipes.

                                     

The first time I made this, I used pork loin instead of sirloin.  Either will work.  The main difference will be the cooking time.  Because a loin roast is generally skinnier than a sirloin roast, it will cook a bit faster.  To avoid over- or undercooking, be sure to rely on your instant-read thermometer rather than the clock.

I am usually in the seer-a-pork-roast-before-roasting-it camp, but I wanted to make this recipe super easy and super fast so I skipped that step.  Go ahead and sear it if you want to, keeping in mind it will decrease oven time.

To make this dish even easier, forego the mixing bowl and spoon—two less dishes to clean!  I usually just pour, squirt, and sprinkle the flavorings and seasonings on top and mix it all together as I’m coating the roast.  Of course, this results in a less homogenous coating, but it works and it’s fast.

The key to releasing the flavor of the rosemary is to crush it between your fingers.  You will almost immediately smell the difference between uncrushed and crushed rosemary.

The five-minute rest at the end of the recipe is a must—do not skip this step!  Resting allows time for the internal temperature to rise five more degrees to 160°, the target temperature for pork.  It also lets the meat absorb some of the juices.  If you cut it right away, a lot of the juices will run right out.

Honey-Mustard Pork Roast

3-4 lb. boneless pork loin or sirloin roast

3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 ½ Tbsp. honey

½ Tbsp. lemon juice

½ Tbsp. dried rosemary, crushed

Quite a few dashes pepper

Preheat oven to 325°.  Lightly oil small, shallow roasting pan.  Place roast in pan; set aside.  In small bowl, combine mustard, honey, lemon juice, rosemary, and pepper; pour over roast.

Using hands or basting brush, coat entire roast, including bottom.

Place fattiest side up.  Roast uncovered until reaches 155° on instant-read thermometer, about 1½-1¾ hours.  Remove from oven, cover with foil, let rest 5 minutes.

Temperature had already risen one degree from
oven to counter.

Perfect!

Remove from pan, slice across grain.