Friday, July 13, 2012

Garlic Crusted Sliced Pork Loin with Fresh Succotash

recipe adapted from foodnetwork.com

Succotash?  Ever heard of that?  Remember good old Sylvester the cat off of Looney Tunes always saying, "Sufferin' succotash!"  Well, little did I know that it is an actual dish.  I came across this recipe and thought that with sweet corn being in season it would be the perfect time to try it out. 

Pork Loin:
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped fine (I used about 3/4 Tbsp dried thyme)
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced fine
3 pounds boneless pork loin, trimmed and tied

Succotash:
2 cups frozen baby lima beans
Kosher salt
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
4-6 ears fresh sweet corn, scraped from the cob
1/3 cup heavy cream (I used evaporated milk)
1 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
2 shakes paprika
2 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley (I used about 1 Tbsp dried parsley)

To make the pork loin, place the mustard, salt, thyme, pepper and garlic in a food processor. Process until the mixture resembles a coarse paste.  Rub the paste over the surface of the pork and allow pork to sit for 30 minutes at room temperature, or in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours. If refrigerated, allow roast to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting.  Roast the pork for 30-50 minutes, check internal temperature with a meat thermometer.  The temperature should read 140 degrees F.  (I cooked mine to 150 degrees F because that is what my meat thermometer recommended for fresh pork.) Remove the pork as soon as it reaches the correct temperature, cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes.

To make the succotash, place the beans in a saucepan and cover with salted water.  Simmer until tender, 6-8 minutes.  Drain the beans, and using the same saucepan, add the butter and  corn and saute quickly, about 2 minutes.  Add the cream, sugar, beans, and salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for about 3 minutes more.  

Spoon the succotash into 6 shallow bowls, sprinkle with paprika and parsley.  Top each with 3-4 (1/2-1 inch) slices of the pork loin and serve.