Bacon-Wrapped Maple Pork Loin
- 8 cups water
- 1/3 cup kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (Grade B or amber)
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
- 2 sprigs fresh sage
- 1 large garlic clove, smashed
- 1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
- 1 (4- to 4 1/2-lb) boneless pork loin roast, trimmed
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup (Grade B or amber)
- 16 bacon slices (about 1 lb)
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon water
- an instant-read thermometer
- Combine all brining ingredients except pork loin in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan and heat over high heat, stirring, until salt is dissolved. Pour brine into a deep 4- to 5-quart pot; cool to room temperature, uncovered, about 2 hours.
- Add pork to brine, making sure it is completely covered by brine, and marinate, covered and chilled, 8 to 24 hours.
- Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350u0b0F.
- Pat pork dry (discard brine) and remove any strings, then transfer to a roasting pan. Stir together garlic, sage, and 1 tablespoon syrup in a small bowl and rub all over pork. Lay bacon slices crosswise over loin, overlapping slightly, and tuck ends of bacon underneath loin.
- Roast pork until thermometer registers 140u0b0F, about 1 1/4 hours. Stir together 1 tablespoon syrup and vinegar until combined. Brush vinegar mixture over bacon slices and continue to roast pork until thermometer registers 150u0b0F, about 10 minutes more. Remove from oven and let stand in pan 15 minutes. Transfer roast to a cutting board with a lip, reserving juices in pan, and let roast stand, uncovered, while making sauce.
- Skim fat from pan juices and discard, then transfer jus to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir together cornstarch and water and whisk into jus. Simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in remaining tablespoon syrup. Serve pork with sauce.
water, kosher salt, maple syrup, black peppercorns, sage, garlic, turkish, pork loin, garlic, fresh sage, maple syrup, bacon, cider vinegar, cornstarch, water, thermometer
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/bacon-wrapped-maple-pork-loin-233983 (may not work)