Citrus-Brined Pork Loin with Peach Mustard and Corn Soufflé Stuffed Tomatoes

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Bon Appetit’s Citrus-Brined Pork Loin

Jeff’s Corn Souffle Stuffed Tomatoes

Peach Mustard

Two great dinner party recipes

Today, I want to share two great dinner party recipes that we served this summer to great applause. One is a pork loin from Bon Appetit that originally called for using the backyard grill. It was a great success with a flavorful crust and meat that was tender to the bone. Later in the season, when we were in the midst of a monsoon, I took it inside and roasted it to perfection in the oven. So I think we can get away with calling this a year ‘round option for a great bone-in pork roast. And if you’re one of those grillers who will stand outside in all but a blizzard, you can grill on. With it, comes a recipe for peach mustard, a cross between a chutney and a mustard sauce. But the third component of the menu makes this meal far more seasonal. It calls for using those still wonderful field tomatoes that are everywhere around here now, along with the last of the season’s corn. Put them together and this might be the perfect meal to serve this very weekend.

A great bone-in pork loin is one of the great dinner party bargains you can buy.

Pork has never achieved the status of a great beef roast or steak for that matter. So its price has made it a favorite of thrifty entertainers everywhere. Because today’s Pork has had its fat content reduced to virtually nothing, the meat benefits from brining, a technique in which both flavor and tenderness are added. In this case, if you are planning to entertain on Saturday night, the full benefit of the brine needs 24 hours to develop. In an absolute pinch, you can cut this down to 12 hours. But unless you plan to rise at dawn the day of your dinner party, set aside some time the day before and brine away. The Peach Mustard can made the day of or you can make it ahead and add the chives at the last minute.

Next up, the Corn Soufflé Stuffed Tomatoes.

I was so pleased when our friend Jeff sent along this great recipe. Jeff and his partner, Mark, are great friends of ours in St. Barth. I say “in St. Barth” because despite the fact that they live right over the Pennsylvania state line in New Hope, we never see them anywhere but on the island! And we’ve been friends for years! Jeff wrote that he’d sent the recipe along after reading that I’m not a great corn on the cob fan. Here, he wrote “This makes use of the season’s two greatest vegetables.” He says that he’s “had the recipe since the late 80s beut can’t remember where it came from. Probably an old Gourmet or Bon Appetit”. I did some sleuthing at Epicurious.com, generally a repository of old Gourmet recipes and those of Bon Appetit, and came up empty handed. But wherever this came from originally, I cannot thank Jeff enough for it because it not only tastes wonderful but it looks so beautiful especially when you are serving ‘the other white meat’ which has no color at all. Here are the recipes:

Recipe for Citrus-Brined Pork Loin with Peach Mustard from Bon Appetit Serves 8. Takes at least 12 hours marinating time, 1 hour coming to room temperatute, 45 to 60 minutes of cooking time, 20 minutes to rest.

For the Citrus-Thyme Brine:

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup kosher salt

1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 orange, halved

1 lemon, halved

4 sprigs thyme

1 5-pound center-cut bone-in pork loin, chine bone removed

Dry Rub and Assembly:

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

Vegetable oil (for grilling)

Special equipment:

Mortar and pestle or spice mill

Make the Citrus-Thyme Brine:

Bring onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, brown sugar, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns, and 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring, until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat and add 2 cups cold water. Transfer brine to a large heatproof bowl or jar. Squeeze orange and lemon juice into brine and add citrus halves and thyme. Chill until cool.

Place pork in a large re-sealable plastic bag and add brine. Seal bag, pressing out air, and chill at least 12 hours. (I could not find a plastic big enough but I forged on, putting the roast and the brine in a large pyrex dish. The pork was almost submerged and I flipped it several times to make sure that every inch of the roast was brined.)

Do ahead: Brine can be made 2 days ahead; cover and keep chilled. Pork can be brined 24 hours ahead; keep chilled.

Dry Rub and Assembly:

Remove pork from brine, brushing off any spices. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before grilling.

Toast coriander and fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool, then finely grind in mortar and pestle or spice mill; combine in a small bowl with brown sugar, salt, pepper, and paprika.

Prepare grill for 2-zone heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on 1 side of grill; for a gas grill, leave 1 or 2 burners off) and oil grate. Pat pork dry and rub all over with dry rub. Grill over direct heat, bone side up, until lightly charred, about 5 minutes. Turn pork and grill, bone side down, until lightly charred, about 5 minutes more.

Transfer pork to cooler side of grill, bone side up; cover grill. Grill pork, turning occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of loin registers 145°, 45–60 minutes. (The internal temperature of grill should be 400°; add more charcoal or adjust heat as needed.) If you are using a regular oven, and if you are fortunate enough to have a probe, use that and just close the door. Otherwise, roast for 30 minutes and check temperature until you achieve the desired 145 degree internal temperature.

Transfer pork to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest 20 minutes. Cut loin from ribs, and slice loin; cut between ribs. Serve with Peach Mustard.

Do ahead: Dry rub can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

For the Peach Mustard:

Makes 1 ¼ cups. Choose a very ripe—even bruised peach for this recipe.

Ingredients

1 large ripe peach

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

1/3 cup whole grain mustard

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Using the tip of a paring knife, score an X in the bottom of peach. Cook in a small saucepan of boiling water just until skin begins to peel back where cut, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl of ice water; let cool. Peel and coarsely chop.

Bring peach, sugar, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons water to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until peach is very soft and mixture thickens slightly, 5–8 minutes. Pulse in a blender until chunky (do not purée). Transfer to a medium bowl; let cool.

Mix in Dijon and whole grain mustards and chives; season with salt and pepper.

Recipe for Corn Soufflé Stuffed Tomatoes Courtesy of Jeff W.

This corn in this recipe will fill 4-6 tomatoes depending on size. Up the recipe with the number of tomatoes. If you are making the pork roast for 8, you will want 8 stuffed tomatoes. Takes 20 minutes Prep Time and 45 minutes in the oven.

4-6 med. to large local fresh tomatoes

2 eggs

Salt and Pepper

2 tbsp. flour

2 tbsp. sugar

½ tsp baking powder

1 cup half and half

Corn (4 ears) cut off the cob from fresh local (preferably white) corn

2 tbsp. Melted butter

Minced parsley (optional; I never use it for this)

Cut tops off tomatoes and scoop out insides. (I found a melon baller was perfect for this task.) Salt and pepper the insides of each tomato, turn over and drain on paper towel for 20 mins.

Beat eggs. Mix in flour, sugar and baking powder

Blend in half and half. Stir in corn and melted butter

Season with salt and pepper.

Pour corn mixture into tomatoes. Bake for 45 mins in a 350 degree oven. Put any extra soufflé in an oven proof dish and cook alongside the tomatoes.

Note: Keep the corn soufflé mixture just below the top of the tomatoes. It puffs up and will spill over if filled to the brim.

4 thoughts on “Citrus-Brined Pork Loin with Peach Mustard and Corn Soufflé Stuffed Tomatoes”

Craig Harper says:

March 1, 2021 at 5:32 pm

Great side dish! Tried it mostly for appearance. with a pork loin. Vine tomatoes and frozen corn – came out great. Wife loved them. Week later, made in advance with hot house tomatoes and fresh sweet corn. and drove them cross town to bake at my daughter’s. to go with ribeyes on the grill. More rave reviews.
Out of town guests coming next week – one more time to go with the ham.
Thanks for the delightful flavors and a wonderful presentation.

- Monte Mathews says:
  
  March 2, 2021 at 1:48 pm
  
  Dear Craig, I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to write. It means the world to us to know that people use and appreciate the recipes we feature. I hope you’ll look around and discover some more things you’ll want to cook. All best, Monte and Andrew
  
Pingback: 10 Recipes Substitute For Brown Mustard You Will Like - Chefcg
- Monte Mathews says:
  
  August 3, 2022 at 2:56 pm
  
  Thanks for cluing us in! Bon Appetit!

Citrus-Brined Pork Loin with Peach Mustard and Corn Soufflé Stuffed Tomatoes

Two great dinner party recipes

A great bone-in pork loin is one of the great dinner party bargains you can buy.

Next up, the Corn Soufflé Stuffed Tomatoes.

4 thoughts on “Citrus-Brined Pork Loin with Peach Mustard and Corn Soufflé Stuffed Tomatoes”

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