Scarborough Fair Pork with Pepper Orzo

Remember that old song, Scarborough fair?  “Are you going to Scarborough Fair?  Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme”….  Well that was the inspiration for this marinated pork loin roast – and it was worth the trip!

scarborough pork

What you need:

The Pork

  • 1 ½ pound boneless pork sirloin roast
  • 3-4 sprigs fresh parsley, plus 1 teaspoon chopped
  • 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 10-12 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1 teaspoon chopped
  • 8-10 fresh sage leaves, plus 12 for the garnish
  • 4 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
  • ¼ vinegar
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup cherry-lime sparkling water (not sweetened – like Le Croix)
  • 4 Tablespoons olive oil

The Orzo

  •  1 quart chicken broth
  • 1 cup dry orzo (a small, rice shaped pasta)
  • 3 Tablespoons of butter
  • ½ cup fire roasted peppers, chopped
  • 2 green onions, chopped

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How to Do it:

Take all the whole herbs and squeeze them gently in your hand until you smell the fragrance.

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This breaks up the cellular walls and allows the oils to being to seep out.  Put the herbs, vinegar and garlic in a sauce pan and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 2-3 minutes, until the herbs and garlic are fragrant.

Place the roast in a Ziploc bag.

Pour the entire vinegar solution and 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in with it, then the sparkling water.

Remove as much air as possible and seal.

Remember the gas from the carbonation will expand the plastic bag, so put it in a container with a lid and check often to make sure it doesn’t explode!  It could make a mess!

Marinate about 24-48 hours (I did it for 2 days).

Remove the meat from the marinade and discard the liquid and the bag.

Using a grill pan or cast iron skillet, heat the remaining 2 Tablespoons of oil.  Sear the roast on medium-high for about 10 minutes per side.

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Turn the heat to medium-low and cover, continuing to cook for about 15 more minutes (until meat is medium to medium-rare).

While the meat is cooking, cook the orzo by bringing the broth to a boil, then adding the orzo.  Cook until al dente (soft but still has a bit of a firm bite), then drain and set aside.

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Remove the lid from the meat and turn, then move it off to the side of the pan. Place 1 Tablespoon of butter on the top of the roast and the remainder on the other side of the pan.

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Dump the orzo into the melted butter and gently sauté until it is beginning to brown just a little.

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Add the roasted peppers and mix thoroughly.   Make sure it is all heated through.

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Remove the meat from the pan and let set for a few minutes.  In the mean time, place the 12 sage leaves in the hot butter in the pan and cook it until it is crisp.  It crisps up fast so don’t walk away!!  Remove it before it burns.

Slice the meat in thin slices against the grain.

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Serve with orzo and garnish the orzo with the chopped green onions and the pork slices with 3 crispy sage leaves

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Makes four servings

 

© Copyright 2016 The Lazy Gastronome

 

 

 

 

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This entry was posted in Main dish, Pasta, pork, Side Dishes and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

5 Responses to Scarborough Fair Pork with Pepper Orzo

  1. Audrey says:

    I am always looking for new ways to prepare pork tenderloin and this sounds delicious. The orzo too. Thank you for sharing with us on Creative K Kids Tasty Tuesdays!

  2. Such great instructions. I am going to have to try this. I am tired of my same old pork recipes! Thank you so much for linking at #ThursdayFavoriteThings! I look forward to seeing what you share every week. Please come back for #OverTheMoon on Sunday night. Don’t forget to comment your link #’s so I can be sure to visit and you get a chance to be featured! Pinned and shared.

  3. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe at the #RecipeSharingParty! I hope to see you next week. Pinned and Yummed. Please visit #OverTheMoon on Sunday, #WonderfulWednesdy or #ThursdayFavoriteThings for more sharing fun! Don’t forget to Comment your link #’s so I can be sure to visit and you get a chance to be featured!

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