Sprinkle a generous layer of Garlic Gold® Sea Salt Nuggets on a roast before it goes into the oven, and something magical happens — it browns and caramelizes into an amazing, crunchy coating! We love this way of cooking roast beef, chicken, and for tonight’s dinner, a boneless pork loin. Marinated in our Balsamic Vinaigrette, it roasts on top of a bed of parsnips for a main dish and vegetable side all in one skillet.
You can pick up a boneless pork loin at just about any grocery store. The perfect size for feeding a group of four to six (or two with leftovers for next-day sandwiches), they’re usually sold in two and a half-pound pieces.
Using a digital cooking thermometer is the easiest way to ensure that your roast is cooked through. Go for the kind with a remote display and an oven-safe probe — this way, you never have to open the oven while the roast is cooking to check its temperature! Simply insert the thermometer probe into the thickest part of the roast, set the alarm for your desired temperature, and it’ll sound when dinner is ready. (We’ve also included a note on how to make this recipe if you don’t have one on hand.)
This meal does take about an hour and forty five minutes to cook, but on the plus side, all of that time is completely unattended. Once dinner is in the oven, it roasts itself without any more effort from the chef.
-Coco Morante, Recipe Editor for Garlic Gold®
- 1 pound parsnips, peeled and quartered lengthwise
- 1/3 cup Garlic Gold® Balsamic Vinaigrette, divided
- 1 boneless pork loin roast (about 2 1/2 pounds)
- 1/4 cup Garlic Gold® Sea Salt Nuggets
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
- In a 10 or 12-inch oven-safe skillet, drizzle the parsnips with half of the Balsamic Vinaigrette. Toss to coat the parsnips with vinaigrette, then arrange them in a line down the center of the skillet.
- Place the pork roast on top of the parsnips, then drizzle it with the remaining vinaigrette. Sprinkle the Sea Salt Nuggets evenly over the whole roast, taking care to coat the sides as well as the top.
- Insert an oven-safe thermometer probe into one side of the roast, then push it in so that the tip of the probe is in the center of the roast. Set the thermometer for 145ºF, and place the skillet in the oven, allowing the thermometer cable to trail out the oven door.
- The roast will take about one and a half to two hours to cook through. When the alarm sounds, remove the skillet from the oven. Allow the roast to rest for at least ten minutes, then slice it into half-inch medallions and serve it with the roasted parsnips alongside.
- If you do not have an oven-safe thermometer, use a regular meat thermometer to check the roast for doneness after an hour. Continue to check it every ten minutes or so, until it has reached 145ºF.
- Don’t like parsnips, or can’t track them down? Carrots, whole fingerling potatoes, and brussels sprouts all work well too.
