Lavender Pork Rib End Roast

Recipe by: Laura Pensiero | from Hudson Valley Mediterranean: The Gigi Good Food Cookbook

Cookstr

Course: Main Course

Total Time: Under 2 Hours

Skill Level: Easy

Cost: Moderate

Photo by: Leonardo Frusteri

This succulent roast is easy to prepare, gorgeous to look at, and best of all, wonderful to eat. Lavender grows in the herb garden right outside my kitchen door, and by late fall it needs to be gathered up. I love using fragrant lavender with red meat, game, and game birds in addition to pork. A little goes a long way and won’t overwhelm the flavor of the dish.

Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

One 4-pound pork loin rib end roast, Frenched
6 garlic cloves, sliced in half
24 to 36 lavender leaves (around ¼ cup, loosely packed)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Trim any excess fat off the pork roast. Cut twelve ¼-inch-wide slits into the roast, and stuff each one with a garlic half and 2 or 3 lavender leaves. Generously sprinkle the roast with salt and pepper. Place the meat in a small roasting pan, slightly larger than the roast itself. Drizzle with the olive oil.

Roast for about 1¼ to 1½ hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 150°F. Let the roast rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Variations

Rosemary, thyme, and sage work well.