Greek-Style Pork Loin with Fennel, Lemon and Herbs

Published January 15, 2016

3 SmartPoints

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 75 min

Serves: 8

Perfect for fall dinners or casual holiday celebrations. The pork is moist and well-seasoned and the roasted fennel is tender and sweet.

Ingredients

  • 2 clove(s) garlic clove(s), smashed to a pulp or put through a garlic press

  • 2 tsp mint leaves, fresh minced

  • 2 tsp fresh oregano, minced

  • 2 tsp rosemary, fresh, minced

  • 2 tsp lemon zest, finely grated

  • 1 tsp table salt

  • 1⁄2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

  • 2 pound(s) uncooked lean boneless pork chop(s), center-cut (use one 2 lb piece)

  • 4 medium uncooked fennel bulb(s), fronds trimmed and discarded, bulbs halved

  • 2 spray(s) cooking spray

Instructions

  1. Position rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F.

  2. In a small bowl, mix garlic, mint, oregano, rosemary, lemon zest, salt and pepper; rub all over pork.

  3. Set pork in a roasting pan and place fennel around it; lightly coat fennel with cooking spray.

  4. Roast, tossing occasionally, until fennel is browned and softened and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into center of the thickest part of pork registers 165°F, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let stand on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Transfer pork to a carving board and slice into 16 thin pieces. Yields 2 slices pork and half a fennel bulb per serving.

Notes

Whenever you roast meat, it's best to use an instant-read meat thermometer. There’s really no other way to tell if meat is done than by taking its internal temperature. Insert the thermometer’s probe into the thickest part of the meat (without touching bone if there is any) and hold the probe there a few seconds until the temperature stabilizes.

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