Cranberry Pork Loin

We tried several roast recipes and liked the simple method of sticking the roast in the oven, walking away, and returning when it was done. We also wanted a flavorful cranberry glaze that really enhanced both the flavor and look of the pork. Here’s what we discovered.

Test Kitchen Discoveries

• To keep the roast from drying out, be sure to use a center-cut loin with the fatty cap still attached. The fat will baste the pork while it roasts. To enhance the rendering, score a crosshatched pattern into the fat before cooking.
• Browning the roast was as simple as turning up the heat on the oven.
• Jellied canned cranberry sauce fell right off our roast, so we turned instead to cans with whole berries that clung much better.
• Adding dried cranberries to the sauce created pockets of tart chew. The berries also plumped up nicely in the simmering sauce.
• For extra cranberry flavor, we substituted cranberry juice for chicken broth in the sauce. Spooning the sauce over the roast just once during cooking will keep the roast juicy and give it a nice ruby color.