Pork loin roast with umbako

SERVES 4 PREPARATION: 5 MIN COOKING: 1 HOUR RESTING: 10-12 MIN

1kg pork loin salt and freshly ground black pepper 30ml (2T) vegetable oil

85g unsalted butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

30ml (2T) Worcester sauce

5ml (1t) yellow mustard powder

5ml (1t) dried oregano

5ml (1t) dried thyme

TO SERVE

umbako

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

1 Pat dry the pork loin. Season with salt and pepper.

2 Heat a large ovenproof pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat for about 1 minute. Add the pork loin and sear it on all sides until a crust forms, about 1 minute a side. Remove from the pan and set it aside.

3 Turn off the heat and remove the pan from the plate. In the same hot pan, add the butter, garlic, Worcester sauce and mustard. Stir the sauce until the butter has melted.

4 Pat the herbs onto the pork, coating it completely. Put the loin back in the pan and spoon some sauce over.

5 Cover the pan with foil and roast the loin in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, remove the foil and spoon more sauce over the loin. Cover with the foil again, return to the oven and cook for another 30 minutes or until the temperature in the centre of the loin when it’s poked with a meat thermometer is about 68°C.

6 Remove the pork loin from the oven, keep it covered and let it rest for about 10-12 minutes. Slice thinly and serve hot.

7 To serve Slice thinly and serve hot with umbako (see recipe right).

TIP Cook the pork loin until it reaches an internal temperature of 68°C in its thickest part. The higher the temperature, the drier the loin will be, so be careful not to overcook it.