Swedish Apricot Pork Loin
Apricot and pork make a great combination. You can thicken the sauce by adding a cornstarch slurry made by dissolving 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water.
Serves: 8Hands-on: 30 minutesTotal: 2 hours 15 minutesDifficulty: Medium
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 3½ cups water, divided
- ¼ tsp. ground allspice
- 20 dried apricots, pitted
- 1 pork loin (3 lbs.), visible fat removed
- 1 tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 tsp. brown sugar
- 1½ Tbsp. orange marmalade
Directions
- In a medium bowl, bring 2½ cups water to a boil over medium heat. Stir in the ground allspice. Add the dried apricots. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the apricots have softened (about 5 minutes). Remove the apricots with a slotted spoon. Reserve the juice.
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- With a sharp knife, make 10 slits across the pork loin. Rub the roast with salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Insert 1 cooked apricot in each slit.
- Place the pork in a large roasting pan, with a meat thermometer inserted in the center. Place 1 cup water and the chicken broth in the bottom of the pan. Roast the pork for 1½ hours, or until the temperature on the meat thermometer reaches 155°F. Remove the roast and let it stand for 15 minutes.
- While the cooked roast is standing, prepare the sauce. Finely chop the remaining 10 apricots. In a small saucepan, bring the chopped apricots, wine, brown sugar, and orange marmalade to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened (about 5 minutes). Purée in a blender or food processor until smooth. Reheat and serve with the pork.