Heritage bone-in loin---How should I cook it?

[Margaux]

I got a small (3 lb) bone-in pork roast at a Farmer's Market. It is a heritage pork, and was pretty spendy. I've never cooked one of these before (I guess it's a smaller version of a crown roast) & I'd hate to mess it up! I want to do it tomorrow, so if anybody has any suggestions please help me! Does a heritage roast benefit from brining? I really want this to be as tender as possible. Thanks in advance!

 

[Andy M.]

I got a small (3 lb) bone-in pork roast at a Farmer's Market. It is a heritage pork, and was pretty spendy. I've never cooked one of these before (I guess it's a smaller version of a crown roast) & I'd hate to mess it up! I want to do it tomorrow, so if anybody has any suggestions please help me! Does a heritage roast benefit from brining? I really want this to be as tender as possible. Thanks in advance!

A heritage pork will be less dry on its own. It won't suffer from brining. Brining will add flavor and lock in some moisture. Brining does not tenderize.

I would roast the loin at high heat to brown the outside then lower the heat to cook it through. Check the internal temperature near the bones ( but not touching the bones) as that's the last place to cook to temp. Take the roast out at 140F internal temp and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.

 

[Kayelle]

ok I give up......what is heritage pork? Pig with a pedigree?

 

[Margaux]

ok I give up......what is heritage pork? Pig with a pedigree?

LOL! It's a breed of pig, like Tamworth or Berkshire, that used to be raised prior to the modern "factory farm" process. These pigs are allowed to roam around in pastures, rooting, eating bugs, mushrooms, etc.--not like today's mass produced pork products that are lower in fat and flavor. Heritage breeds taste like the pork from family farms years ago.

 

[Kayelle]

Thanks for the explanation Margaux. Wow.....would I love to be able to find that pork!! Pigs sure aren't what they used to be. So how did the roast turn out, and welcome to DC.

 

[Margaux]

Thanks, Kayelle! I have the roast in a brining solution right now. I'm going to roast it tonight with a balsamic glaze/sauce with black garlic. I'll post the results later!

 

[Kayelle]

Zowwwwieeeeee......what time should I be there for dinner??
Ok, another question......what's black garlic?

 

[Margaux]

LOL! Black garlic is a fermented garlic that has a sweet, mild flavor, & a soft texture. I had some in a restaurant last year, and finally got around to ordering some. Black Garlic | Garlic Just Got Better

 

[Kayelle]

Heritage pork....check
Black Garlic.....check

A shopping list I've never had before. Very interesting.

 

[mollyanne]

Well, I'll be.
Black garlic.
Never heard of it before so I just researched to see if it's as healthy as it's white counterpart and guess what? Fitness Health Today says:

"There are also health properties of black garlic. For one, it has a greater antioxidant power than regular raw garlic. For those fighting the aging process, this is good and tasty news. A compound not found in raw garlic, s-allylcysteine, is produced that lowers bad cholesterol, helps to prevent heart disease and other conditions including cancers."
Black Garlic versus Raw Garlic | Fitness and Health Tips Today#


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[Margaux]

OK--the pork roast was divine! I'm glad ya'll found out about the black garlic, too--