One Pot Honey & Lemon-Roasted Pork Loin With Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe

Sydney Kramer•

This simple pork loin dish, served with mashed sweet potatoes, is ideal for the beginning of winter.

Food Republic has partnered with Bridlewood Estate Winery to bring you some great entertaining and cooking posts. Next up is Sydney Kramer of The Crepes of Wrath sharing a recipe for a pork loin perfect for the holidays. Sydney and The Crepes of Wrath can be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

We're in the heart of comfort food season and I'm ready for some warm, hearty meals made in the oven. And, if the dish can be made in a single pot or cooking vessel, even better. Pork loin is one of those meats that I think is the perfect way to transition into the winter season. It feels lighter, while still being stick-to-your-ribs good for a cool autumn day. I made a simple paste of garlic, lemon and honey to rub all over my big slab of pork loin, then roasted it in the oven alongside some halved sweet potatoes. While the pork rested, I mashed the sweet potatoes with some additional honey, butter and milk, sprinkled them with sea salt and served the two together without having to mess with a bunch of different pans and baking sheets or whatever else typically comes to mind when you think of this sort of meal. Mashed sweet potatoes are the new mashed potatoes, I promise you — they're slightly richer and just bursting with flavor. I highly recommend stabbing a piece of pork alongside a dollop of mashed sweet potato for the ultimate bite.

To drink, of course, we have Bridlewood's Blend 175, named for how many times the different vineyard lots were tasted before arriving at the final product. The wine is dark, slightly jammy and rich in fruit flavors, which is an excellent pairing alongside the honey-scented pork and slightly sweet sweet potato mash. Best of all, this one pot dinner makes a great one pot lunch the next day! A good way to celebrate the holiday season, indeed.

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

Pork

3-4 pounds pork loin

6 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

zest and juice of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

Sweet potatoes

2 large sweet potatoes

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1-2 tablespoons whole milk

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

  1. Use a mortar and pestle or a blender to combine the garlic, salt, ground pepper, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey and thyme. Rub it all over the pork loin and marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight, if desired.
  2. When you're ready to cook, preheat your oven to 450℉. Place the pork loin in a cast iron pan or other large, heavy bottomed cooking vessel and line with foil if you desire (the honey can get sticky while it cooks). Cut sweet potatoes in half and nestle them on either side of the pork. Roast for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375℉ and roast for another 25-30 minutes, until cooked through and the juices run clear.
  3. Remove the sweet potatoes from the pan and add to a mixing bowl. Cover the pork to let it rest. Use an immersion blender, stand mixer or a ricer to mash your sweet potatoes, and then add in the butter, milk, honey and salt and mash until they have reached your desired texture. I like to leave the skins on for the fiber and the texture, but you can easily remove them once they are cooked, if you desire.
  4. Divide the potatoes evenly among your plates and top with the pork, and then drizzle some juices from the pan over the sliced pork. Any leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.

           This post is brought to you by our friends at Bridlewood Estate Winery.

                                        
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