Bacon-Wrapped Cinnamon Pork Loin

As recently as seventy-five years ago, California’s San Fernando Valley, including the areas now known as Burbank and Glendale, was nothing but farmland. Many of the farmers raised pork in this 50-square-mile region, about 25 miles from downtown Los Angeles. The technique of wrapping the pork in bacon adds a smoky flavor to the pork. More importantly, the bacon keeps the pork moist when cooking—the lean pork loin would dry out otherwise. Pine nuts are often used in mole sauces, along with other nuts like peanuts, almonds, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1/2 cup pine nuts (pignoli)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 onion, diced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 pounds boneless center-cut pork loin, butterflied
Salt and ground white pepper
6 slices uncooked slab bacon

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Heat the peanut oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the pine nuts and garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl to cool.

Add the onion, cilantro, mint, sesame oil, and cinnamon to the bowl and stir to blend. Rub this mixture all over the pork loin. Roll the pork loin into a cylinder, tying in places to keep it closed and uniform. Season with salt and white pepper; wrap the bacon slices around the meat.

Place the pork on a roasting rack set in a medium roasting pan. Roast for 50 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the center registers 150°F. Transfer the pork to a warm platter and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.

Note that the meat will continue to cook while it rests. Slice the pork into 1/4-inch slices and serve.

Rudy Garcia, CEC, AAC, Executive Chef, Culinary Arts,
Los Angeles Mission College, Los Angeles, CA

Serves 10

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Recipe submitted by: - American Harvest http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0867308192/myriamagazine