Get ready. Cue the enticing and mouthwatering smells wafting and floating through your house. Your holiday roast dish is coming and it’s easier–and tastier than you think. I adapted this recipe from Molly Baz to solve a holiday–and family weeknight meal–stress point: What big, impressive hunk of meat will feed several hungry people…affordably and without a lot of stress? A pork loin, of course!
The area between the shoulder and back legs of a pig is the leanest, most tender part of the animal. Rib and loin chops are cut from this area, as are pork loin roasts and tenderloin roasts. These cuts will be dry if overcooked–that’s why we are not going to overcook this holiday roast!
Pork loins are on sale this week at Kroger, buy one get one free. If you want to do something different from the pricey Beef Prime Rib without compromising the juicy flavor, then this holiday pork roast is the way to go!
The flavors in the rub may be surprising, but will please your tastebuds with each bite of the juicy pork, creamy potatoes, and roasted kale! Why are we still talking about this? Get your pork and let’s get started!
INGREDIENTS
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4 lb. bone-in pork loin roast (boneless is okay as well)
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1 Tbsp. cracked black pepper
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1 Tbsp. fennel seeds
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1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
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1 tsp. ground Saigon cinnamon
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
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1 1/2 Tbsp. sea salt, plus more
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½ cup (1 stick) salted butter
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3 heads of garlic, cut in half crosswise, divided
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3 large sprigs thyme, divided
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3 lb. small Yukon Gold potatoes
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1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
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1 bunch kale, ribs removed, leaves torn into large pieces
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1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
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Flaky pink Himalayan sea salt
- Mix pepper, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, and cinnamon and finely grind.
- With a small knife, poke several holes into meat on all sides to help the seasoning penetrate deeply. Season roasts with the 1 tablespoon of sea salt, then rub ground spice mixture all over. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill at least 8 hours.
- Unwrap roast and let sit at room temperature 1 hour before cooking.
- Place a rack in lower oven; preheat to 275°. Cook butter, one half head of garlic, and 1 thyme sprig in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often, until bubbling and fragrant, about 4-5 minutes. DO NOT BURN. Remove from heat and cover to keep butter warm.
- Toss cut potatoes, oil, and remaining garlic heads and 2 thyme sprigs in a large roasting pan; season with kosher salt. Place pork on top of vegetables and brush all over with some garlic butter. Roast, basting with garlic butter every 30 minutes or so and stirring vegetables, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 120°, 75–105 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board. Tent pork with foil. Let rest at least 45 minutes or up to 3 hours.
- Check potatoes for doneness with a fork. If they’re still firm, cook them longer, along with everything else in the roasting pan. Increase oven temperature to 500°. Cover pan with foil and roast until potatoes are tender and garlic is golden, 15-20 minutes longer (start checking after 10 minutes).
- Add kale and vinegar to roasting pan, and toss to coat. Arrange pork on top of vegetables and roast until pork is deeply golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 130°, 10–20 minutes (Let everything rest in pan 10–15 minutes.
- Transfer pork to a cutting board. Using tongs, transfer vegetables to a large platter, reserving pan juices. Carve meat and arrange over vegetables. Spoon reserved juices from pan over the meat. Season with the pink sea salt as needed,
Butter, Baking, and Bacon! 
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