I first made this recipe — which comes from the Williams Sonoma catalog — many years ago, and, to the delight of my guests, it was a huge hit. This time is no different. It’s a great inexpensive one-pot dish to serve a crowd. It looks fancy, but is really quite simple.
Roast Pork with Pears
3/4 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup packed roughly chopped fresh sage, plus whole sage leaves for roasting
3 whole garlic cloves, plus 2 cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 boneless pork loin roast, about 3 1/2 pounds, halved horizontally
3 ripe red Anjou pears, halved lengthwise
4 leeks, white portions only, trimmed, halved lengthwise and rinsed
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1/4 cup heavy cream
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400°F.
In a mini food processor, process the parsley, chopped sage, whole garlic, salt, pepper and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil until a fine paste forms. Spread the mixture on the cut side of one half of the pork loin, then place the other half on top. Tie the roast together with kitchen twine and tuck whole sage leaves underneath the twine. Season the roast with salt and pepper.
In a 5 1/2-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the pears, cut side down, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the pork to the pot and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate. Place the leeks, cut side down, in the pot in a single layer. Set the pork on top and place the pears along the sides of the pot.
Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the pork registers 140°F, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer the pork to a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Transfer the leeks and pears to a platter.
Pour the pan drippings into a bowl and discard all but 2 tsp. of the fat. Warm the reserved fat in the pot over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add the broth and pan drippings and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the mustard and cream. Season with salt and pepper.
Cut the pork into slices and arrange on the platter. Pass the sauce alongside. Serves 8 to 10.
