Sometimes, you just need a little comfort food for dinner! Tonight, a roasted pork loin with real milk gravy and a side of mashed potatoes was just the ticket.
It's a standing joke among my family members that a Pork Roast is always my Mom's Go To meal. Any special occasion that might arise, birthdays, holidays, visitors from out of town or even from across town, it was a reason to make a huge pork roast. It was like her trademark meal, and we've joked about it for years, always keeping this to ourselves, of course. But it always made us laugh to ask what we might be having for dinner at Mom's house, because it was always...pork roast!!
So when I was trying to decide what to make for dinner on this chilly night, I inherantly thought of pork roast. With warm mashed potatoes and homemade milk gravy on top, it was just the right dinner to warm everyone up. So I popped the roast in the oven and preceeded to slice and boil the potatoes. As I started to whip the potatoes using a hand mixer, I had to silently apologize to my Dad who had always hand mashed the creamiest potatoes in the world. He would laugh to see me using this mixer!
Next came the milk gravy, made with just a little extra pepper to give it a zip. Yes, I know it's not the healthiest food in the world but is it ever delicious to spoon over the roast and potatoes.
As I plated up dinner, it reminded me of all the years my family sat at the dinner table enjoying this same meal. All 8 of us, lined around the kitchen table, once in a while the dining room table if it was a special ocassion. Lots of good times were had in our little kitchen and this meal will always bring back good memories. That must be why they call this, Comfort Food. Enjoy!!
1 Pork Loin Roast ( 3 - 5 lbs) **See note below
Garlic Salt with Parsley
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Place the roast in a foil lined baking pan and season generously on all sides with garlic salt and pepper. Wrap foil loosely around the roast, covering the top, and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 - 25 minutes per pound. During the last 1/2 hour of cooking, pull foil back so the top of roast will brown. Let rest 5 - 10 minutes before slicing to allow for the juices to settle.
** Note: When buying a pork roast, look for the Center Loin Roast, which is the preferred cut. Ideally, a 3 - 4 pound roast works best. If you need a larger roast for a big party, cut the roast in half for best results and less cooking time. To figure the number of servings, allow 1/3 pound boneless roast per person.
Milk Gravy
1/2 cup Pan Drippings
1/2 cup Milk
3 TB Cornstarch
4 TB Cold Water
1/8 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Chicken Broth, optional
Drain the pan drippings from the roasting pan and place in a small skillet. Heat over medium-high heat until the juices begin to boil.
Combine the cornstarch and water in a small cup and slowly drizzle into the pan juices while stirring with a whisk until thickened. Decrease heat to medium and slowly add the milk to the skillet while whisking. Add enough milk to achieve the desired consistency. Add the pepper, stir and serve on top of the roast and potatoes.
If the gravy becomes too thick, add 2 tablespoons of chicken broth and stir, adding more if needed until the desired consistency is reached.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
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A meal that brings for much comfort and memories with it. Growing up in Texas, I love cream or milk gravy as we had it with fried chicken and of course, chicken fried steak.
ReplyDeleteI love roasted pork loin, definitely will have to try this recipe!
ReplyDeleteKaren ~ Lots of great memories! Thanks for visiting.
ReplyDeleteEric ~ Such a simple recipe and the flavor is perfect. The gravy is just the "icing on the cake".