A dish like this reminds me why I am not (and NEVER will be) a vegetarian. In yesterdays post I mentioned how important it is to always have some good ol honey in your pantry and this my friends is a prime example of why. Sweet and spicy Dijon and honey glazed pork loin!!!!! YES. A slab of marinated tender and lean pork with some heat drowned in a sweet honey and Dijon glaze. Since I first made this recipe about a month ago, I have made the sauce with chicken, beef and seafood and I must say it tastes better on pork by a long shot.

 

I must reiterate how important it is for me to find meals that taste awesome but really take very little effort and prep. I also love repeating ingredients throughout the week so nothing goes to waste. When I made my honey and dill carrots I knew I wanted to use the honey to make something else a little more hearty. That’s when this baby was born.

 

The most important part of this entire recipe is the simple marinade that the pork loin will soak in for anywhere from a half hour to over night. As always, the longer the meat can marinate, the better. Pork already has a lot of it’s own flavor so I did not want to over season it and take away from that natural goodness. The best part is there is no clean up, just put your loin in a zip lock bag and start pouring in the ingredients.

*Side Note: Contrary to popular belief, washing your chicken, beef, pork etc. is a big NO NO. Washing them takes away natural flavor and also makes it easier to spread the germs which is also a major NO NO.

 

In a gallon sized ziplock bag, add your pork loin (3-4 lbs) and:

1 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp of sea salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp paprika

1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

5 whole garlic cloves mashed

 

Glaze: whisk together the following

1/3 cup of honey

1 1/2 tbsp of Dijon mustard (also great to always have in the pantry)

1 tsp yellow mustard

1 tsp of apple cider vinegar

1 tsp cayenne pepper

 

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. While that heats up, you can whisk together your ingredients for the glaze.
2. Remove marinated pork loin from your ziplock bag and place on a covered baking dish with foil or parchment paper. It can be a deep dish to keep all the juices in or a flat baking sheet. Whatever you have works just fine. Pour the remaining marinade over the pork loin as well as the garlic cloves. More flavor!

3. Place it in the oven and let cook for 35 minutes. After 35 minutes, remove the pork and brush your glaze on. I used the entire glaze so go right ahead and cover the loin and spread it all over. Pop back in for another 10 minutes or until it reaches 165 degrees internally so the glaze can make it way all though out the pork. My pork loin was 3.5 pounds so if yours is a little bigger, cook a little extra.

4. Once its done cooking, remove from the oven and let sit for 10-1 5 minutes before cutting so all of the juices don’t run out. It will be the hardest 10 minutes ever to resist cutting it but you can do it!

At this point, your kitchen should smell like heaven. Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!