Glazed Pork Roast with Zenú-Spiced Fruit Salsa

Serves 8-10.

This pork roast will fill your kitchen with inviting aromas and reward you and your guests with unexpected flavor. The recipe features Zenú Spice in both in the glaze and the salsa served with the roast. In the glaze, the blend’s Colombian chocolate pepper and ginger create a piquant counterpoint to pork’s sweet, rich flavor; in the salsa, its passion fruit amplifies the flavors of pineapple and mango.

Serve the roast with a starchy side such as rice, potatoes, or plantains. Leftovers are great for sandwiches.

Notes: Pork loin is most often labeled ‘pork roast’ — don’t confuse it with tenderloin, a more expensive and leaner cut. Although tying the roast isn’t mandatory, it helps ensure even cooking. The roast time given is for medium well, juicy and pink but safely done. Cook longer for well-done but know that the meat will be less tender. You can brown and glaze the pork ahead, then cover, and refrigerate up to overnight. Be sure to rest it at room temperature for 30-40 minutes before roasting.

3-4 pound boneless pork loin
2¼ teaspoons sea salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced and mashed garlic
2 tablespoons Zenú Spice
1 large onion, peeled, root and stem ends trimmed
Zenú-Spiced Fruit Salsa, for serving (recipe follows)

Pat the pork dry with paper towels and tie it with kitchen twine (optional). Sprinkle all sides with 2 teaspoons of the sea salt and set aside at room temperature for 30-minutes to an hour.

Put the oil, honey, soy sauce, garlic, Zenú Spice, and remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt into a small bowl. Stir until fully combined. Cut the onion crosswise into ½-inch thick slices. Set both the glaze and onion slices aside.

Preheat the oven to 325° F and arrange the shelves so there’s a rack in the middle with none above it.

Pat the pork dry (again). Set an oven-safe skillet over medium to medium-high heat, add the meat to the pan, and brown each side until golden, 5-6 minutes per side. Transfer the meat to a tray or cutting board.

Scoop out and discard the rendered fat in the skillet leaving only about a tablespoon behind. Lay the onion slices flat on the bottom of the pan. Set the meat atop the onions, then thickly coat the pork with glaze — use all the glaze. Transfer the skillet to the oven.

Roast until the pork is golden brown and the internal temperature reads 140° F on a meat thermometer — about 20 minutes of roast time per pound of meat. Remove the skillet from the oven, tent the pork with foil and let it rest for 7-10 minutes, to let the internal temperature rise to 142° - 145° F.

Transfer the roast to a cutting board and arrange the onions on a serving plate. Cut the string off the roast. Cut a few slices and arrange them and the uncut portion over the onions. Spoon a bit of the pan juice over the roast and serve the salsa in a bowl alongside.
 

ZENÚ-SPICED FRUIT SALSA
Makes about 3 cups.

A light, zesty salsa that is also delicious with grilled fish or roasted chicken.

1 pint fresh pineapple chunks, finely diced (about 2¼ cups)
1 ripe mango, peeled and finely diced
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon Zenú Spice
1-2 tablespoons minced cilantro
1 lime
Sea Salt

Put the pineapple, mango, honey, Zenú Spice, and cilantro into a medium mixing bowl. Grate in the zest from about half of the lime, then add 1 tablespoon of its juice, along with a tiny pinch of salt to the bowl. Stir well, taste, and add more lime juice or honey if needed.