Pork and fennel are a match made in culinary heaven. For this pork roast recipe, I put an Italian flare on both the pork roast and on the luscious sauce that accompanies the pork. The pork tenderloin is first rubbed in a mixture of fennel pollen and garlic powder before being seared to golden brown. The pork then bakes in the oven for about an hour, along with some chicken stock to keep the pork tender. All-the-while a tomato ragu cooks on the stove. Not just any ragu, but a hearty ragu made with onions, garlic, green olives, tomatoes, red wine and fresh herbs–not to mention the last minute addition of peppery chopped dandelion greens for a healthy vegetable add-in.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Fennel-Rubbed Pork Roast with Tomato-Olive Ragu
Ingredients:
- (1) 2 lb. boneless pork roast (lean)
- 1 teaspoon fennel pollen
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 2 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves removed
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- (1) 28-oz. can (organic) whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
- 1/2 cup sliced green olives
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 bunch dandelion greens, stems removed, leaves chopped roughly
- Creamy polenta or cooked egg noodles, for serving
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rub half of the fennel pollen and half of the garlic powder on each side of the pork tenderloin. Season each side with salt and pepper as well. Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large, straight-sided saute pan or Dutch oven over high heat. Sear the pork on all sides until browned; about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the pork from the pan and place the pork in an oven-proof baking sheet (with sides) along with the chicken stock. Bake the pork for 1 hour, or until the internal temp reaches 145 degrees.
- In the mantime, make the ragu in the same pan you seared the pork in. Add the remaining Tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Heat the pan over medium heat; add in the sliced onions and garlic, along with the oregano leaves. Season with ½ teapsoon of salt and a big grinding of black pepper. Saute for 3 minutes; add in the tomato paste and cook for 1 more minute, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add in the red wine and deglaze the pan, cooking until the liquid reduces by half. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add in the canned tomatoes with their juices. Break the tomatoes up with the wooden spoon.
- Cook the ragu over low heat, stirring occassionally, for about 45 minutes. Add in the olives, balsamic vinegar and dandelion greens; give the ragu a stir and cook until the greens have wilted, about 10 minutes more.
- Serve the warm pork sliced with some of the ragu. Best if served over creamy polenta or egg noodles.
Tagged: balsamic vinegar, canned whole tomatoes, creamy polenta, dandelion greens, egg noodles, fennel pollen, fennel seeds, fresh oregano, garlic powder, green olives, Italian, Italian pork roast, polenta, pork, pork roast, pork with tomato sauce, ragu, red wine, roast, tomato and olive ragu, tomato paste, tomato sauce, tomatoes
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