Roasts are wonderful for a couple of important reasons: they tend to be cheaper cuts of meat, and they make a lot of food so I get to have leftovers and don’t have to cook every night.
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It’s not that I don’t like cooking (Hello! I’m doing a website filled with recipes!), but I’m also kind of busy and so easy-peasy dinners become an essential thing. Things don’t get much easier than this recipe. As a result, I make this a lot. Like, really a lot. No one has complained. Yet. Not that it will matter if they do, anyway. I’m the one cooking dinner. I HAVE THE POWER! MUWAHAHAHAHAHA! But I digress.
I will confess that I am not one of those people that uses the nifty thermometer gadgets to get to THE precise temperature at the absolute center of the meat. Maybe I should, but… meh, I probably won’t. I have found the near perfect timing and temperature balance for most pork roasts, anyway. You know the old saying, if it ain’t broke…
Beer Braised Port Loin Roast Recipe
I had two roasts, each a little over two pounds. I used the amount of seasoning listed below for each roast, but they shared the bottle of beer. If you have one roast, you will still use the whole bottle (or whatever is left after you check for quality!).
Ingredients
-
- 2-3 lb. pork loin roast, or other similar boneless pork roast
- 1 Tbsp. dried “Italian” herb mix (or any combination of herbs like basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, etc. totaling 1 Tbsp.)
- 1 1/2 tsp. dried and salt-free vegetable seasoning (use any mixed seasoning of your choice, see the picture for the kind of mixture I used)
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 standard sized bottle of beer, preferably a lighter brew (I used a Sam Adams Boston Lager)
Directions
Remove meat from refrigerator at least an hour before preparing to allow it to warm to room temperature. Preheat oven to 450 F. Put pork loin fat side down in a shallow roasting pan. Use the smallest pan that will accommodate your roast and that bottle of beer.
Put seasonings, salt, and olive oil in a small mixing bowl. Combine together to make a mushy paste. Add more oil if needed, you don’t want crumbles, you want a smooth slurry. Slather some of the mix evenly all over the roast, making sure to also get the sides. Place the roast fat side up in the pan and slather the rest of the herb paste over it. Pour the beer AROUND, not over, the roast. You don’t want to wash off your seasonings. Gently lift the roast to allow the beer to flow under and set it back down into the beer.
Put the roast into the oven and turn the heat down to 325 F. Roast the meat for 18-20 minutes per pound. The shape and length of your roast will determine how long you will need. If it is a more round shape, use the longer time. Mine were kind of flat so they cooked more quickly. You can also use a thermometer to check if the pork is at your desired temperature. The USDA recommendations for pork temperatures are now the same for beef roasts. If you live outside the U.S., please check what the recommendations are for your sources of pork. The times I give cook the pork to the point that almost no pink color is left, and the meat is still juicy.
Remove roast from the oven and leave it the heck alone for at least 10-15 minutes. You need to let the juices settle in the meat, if you try to cut it now they will all escape and you will have sad, dry pork. After the pork has rested, slice it to your desired thickness. Serve with the beer juices from the pan.
You may have a lot of juice left over. Don’t even think of tossing it! Save it in a container in the freezer. Do this with leftover juices from any roast, no matter how little is left. I just keep adding to a container and then, I use them as a flavoring for many of my soups and stews. Substitute these reserved juices for some of your broth (about 1 cup of juices mixed with 7-8 cups of broth works well) and you will have added an immense depth of deliciousness to your recipe!
Mostly Greek 
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