Tuscan-Style Roast Pork with Rosemary, Sage, and Garlic
This juicy roast gets a flavorful, burnished crust from its time on a rotisserie grill. If you don't have a rotisserie, you can grill the pork over indirect heat for equally delicious results. Steer clear of pork loins labeled "extra tender" or "guaranteed tender," because they've been treated with sodium phosphate and water and will be too salty if brined.
Ingredients
For the brined pork
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3 ounces kosher salt (3/4 cup if using Diamond Crystal; 6 tablespoons if using Morton)
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1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
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3 medium cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
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3 large sprigs fresh rosemary
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3 large sprigs fresh sage
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1 3-pound all-natural boneless pork loin, trimmed of excess fat
For the herb paste
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8 medium cloves garlic, peeled
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1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves
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1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
1.
In a 3- to 4-quart saucepan, combine the salt, sugar, garlic, and herb sprigs with 2 cups of water. Stir over high heat just until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add 6 more cups of water and cool to room temperature. Transfer to a large container, add the pork, cover, and refrigerate for 8 to 18 hours.
2.
Put the garlic, rosemary, sage, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large mortar and pound to a coarse paste with the pestle. Add the oil and use the pestle to work it into the garlic paste. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, combine all the ingredients in a mini food processor and pulse into a coarse paste.
3.
Remove the pork from the brine and pat it dry (discard the brine). Butterfly the pork loin by making a horizontal slit down the length of the loin, cutting almost through to the other side. Open the meat like a book. Spread half of the herb paste over the inner surface of the roast; then fold it back to its original shape. Tie the roast at 1-inch intervals with butcher's twine and then spread the remaining herb paste over the entire outer surface.
4.
Set up a grill for indirect rotisserie cooking according to the manufacturer's instructions. Heat the grill to 350 degrees F. When ready to cook, skewer the roast lengthwise on the rotisserie spit and let it rotate on the grill, covered, until an instant-read thermometer inserted near the center of the roast registers 145 degrees F, 35 to 45 minutes.
5.
If you don't have a rotisserie, set up your grill for indirect grilling. Heat the grill to 350 degrees F. Put the roast in the cool zone on the grill, and cook as directed above, turning the roast about every 10 minutes.
6.
Remove the roast from the spit if necessary and transfer it to a cutting board. Let stand for 5 minutes, remove the string, and slice thinly. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Make Ahead:
The pork must be brined 8 to 18 hours ahead. You can also butterfly and season the roast with the herb paste up to 4 hours before grilling. Refrigerate, but let sit at room temperature while you heat the grill.
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