Maple-Glazed Pork Loin over Roasted Vegetables

Posted on April 25, 2019 Updated on May 22, 2019

Hello! It’s been so long that my fingers nearly forgot how to type. You see, we’ve been updating part of our house from the early 60’s golds and the late 90’s greens to NOW. Yeah, it’s been a long haul but I’m ever so pleased with the results. All that’s left for me anymore is finishing up the staining and varnishing of the open staircase. That’s being whittled away at; every other step, then the OTHER every other step, then the railing, then the spindles and stringers, and lastly, oh glory, the landing. So that, my friends, is my excuse. I hardly had time to cook, let alone write about it and take pictures.

I really wanted to get a maple recipe in with the bumper crop of syrup Ontario producers had this year. My daughter and I made a whole table full of maple-glazed cinnamon buns for their sugar shack open house earlier this spring. Those were very good, but… I had no time to write about them. I made two Egg Cheeses for two separate occasions over Easter, but… my first post was about that delicacy. Click here to read it. What to post?

My husband’s favourite meat is pork; probably because his inner child remembers porcine meals in the days when their family raised hogs. Pork is an economical meat and it pairs naturally with maple syrup. I had a nice assortment of vegetables lolling about from Martin’s Family Fruit Farm waiting for such a time as this. Plus, last weekend we gifted some Ohio friends with a bottle of the golden liquid and I was telling their young son how good it is brushed over a chipotle-rubbed pork loin! It seemed the right time to develop this recipe.

I have discovered that roasting the meat and the vegetables takes roughly the same amount of time and temperature. That’s so handy! I do like handy meals like that. I chopped and sliced the vegetables, putting the ones that take a longer cooking time into a separate bowl from the fast-roasting ones. Then I drizzled them with olive oil and sprinkled them with the seasonings and a bit of balsamic vinegar. I stuck the slow-roasting veggies in the oven while I prepared the pork loins.

Next I oiled and dry-rubbed spices onto the pork loins, pricked them all over with a meat fork, squeezed a lime over them and popped them into my oven. About fifteen minutes from the finish I brushed the loins with maple syrup and added the fast-cooking veggies to the tray. Dinner was ready in an hour from start to finish. It would also work great on a barbeque grill!

There is a great assortment of winter vegetables at Martin’s Family Fruit Farm, including these cute little fingerling potatoes, as well as an increasing amount of spring veggies such as greenhouse peppers and green beans. Pretty soon there will be asparagus and fiddleheads too! I added parsnips because we like the unique flavour they add to a vegetable medley like this. 

This post is sponsored by Martin’s Family Fruit Farm. The recipe and comments are my own. 

Maple-Glazed Pork Loin over Roasted Vegetables

• Servings: 6
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Ingredients

For the Vegetables:

• 6 fingerling potatoes, quartered lengthwise
• 6 mini red-skinned potatoes, quartered lengthwise
• 3 large carrots, sliced 1/4″ thick on the diagonal
• 3 large parsnips, sliced 1/4″ thick on the diagonal
• 1 large red onion, cut into large chunks
• 1/2 pound asparagus or green beans, cut in half
• 1 sweet red pepper, cut into large chunks
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dry herbs of your choice, optional
• salt and pepper

For the Pork Loin:

•  2 to 3 pounds pork tenderloin
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 whole lime or half a lemon
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon chipotle seasoning, or more if you like it spicy
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice or cloves
• 2 tablespoons Italian herbs mix
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• generous grinding of pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup maple syrup

Directions

Preheat oven to 400° F (204° C) on regular bake or convection roast (my favourite setting for this recipe). Put the potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and onions in one bowl. These vegetables will take longer to roast. Cut the asparagus or beans, red pepper and garlic in another bowl. Drizzle the olive oil, balsamic, and seasonings over each bowl and toss the veggies. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment. Spread the bowl of root vegetables on the sheet. Roast for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare pork loins for roasting. 

Drizzle second amount of oil into another lined baking sheet. Mix all the spices and the garlic together. Place tenderloins on top and roll them in the oil until they’re covered. Prick all over the top with a meat fork. Squeeze the lemon or lime over the loins. Sprinkle with the mixed spices and garlic. Roast, uncovered for 20 – 30 minutes, depending on the size of the pork loins, to about 150° for medium. The juices should run clear when pierced with a fork. This stage could also be done on a barbeque grill with fantastic results, I’m sure.

After 30 minutes, add the bowl of short-cooking vegetables to the roasting tray and toss with the other veggies. Return to oven and roast for an additional 15 minutes. At the same time, remove pork and baste with the pan juices before brushing with half the maple syrup. Return to oven and roast again for 15 minutes. Brush with the remaining maple syrup after removing. Let the meat stand for 5 minutes before slicing. It should be slightly pink inside and juicy. Slice it into 1/2″ thick slices and fan out slightly on top of vegetables for a pretty presentation. Drizzle with pan juices.