To all who are celebrating, I wish you the merriest Christmas filled with love, peace and joy. May the spirit of the season remain in your lives long after the extra calories are shed.
I’ll be back in the New Year and if my jeans are snug, I will blame the dryer.


From the first bite, I knew this was a keeper. Think roast pork on rye — but without the bread — and a tiny schmear of Dijon, enough for flavor but not enough to bother those of us who aren’t big mustard fans. I made this a couple weeks ago and can’t wait to make it again; I’ll probably make it for New Year’s instead of ribs or a ham that lasts forever.
It’s easy, quick and a good way to eat more of the other white meat, which I should do but sometimes fall short of ideas. When pork loin is on sale for just a couple bucks a pound, as it was when I made this and will be again next week, it’s also a budget-friendly main course. There’s almost no waste in those boneless loin roasts. And yes, it’s good enough for company.
My roast was only 1 2/3 pounds, so I made about half the herb mixture. I rarely use a roasting pan except for turkeys, opting instead for a cooling rack which I spray and place over a rimmed baking sheet; I usually line the baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup. I roast almost everything this way, even 8-pound chickens. The roast is up high enough to not sit in fat or juices while it cooks and the hot air is able to reach every part of a roast for better cooking. And it’s just plain easier for me. Baking sheets and cooling racks are always at my fingertips, roasting pans not so much.
I love how this smells in the oven and the taste is even better. Keeper.
Herbed Pork Loin Roast
Adapted from Stop & Shop/Giant Food

1 TB caraway seeds
1 TB Dijon mustard
2 tsp water
1 tsp marjoram (dried)
1/2 tsp salt
1 pork loin roast, 3 to 3 1/2 pounds
Let the roast sit on the counter for about 30 minutes so it’s not ice cold going into the oven. Trim excess fat, leaving a little to keep the roast moist, although the low cooking temperature helps to keep it moist and juicy too.
Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325F/165C/Gas 3.
Crush the caraway seeds in a mortar and pestle or by putting them into a sealable plastic bag and smashing them with the bottom of a spice jar or with a rolling pin.
In a small bowl, make a paste of the crushed seeds, mustard, water, marjoram and salt. Smear onto the pork roast.
Roast in a shallow pan [or by my method ~ ella] for 60 to 70 minutes, until reaching an internal temperature of 160F / 71C.
Let the roast rest, tented loosely with foil, for 10 minutes before slicing.
Serves 8
Ella’s Note: Like all seeds, caraway seeds will stay fresh much longer, a couple years, if stored in the freezer.
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