Best Pork Loin of my Life

Care to eat pig instead of bird on Gratitude Day? Are you open to trying something a little unconventional? Are you like me with few decent pork recipes?

It is a bit aberrant for any turkey purists out there to have this in place of what we usually see on Thanksgiving table tops, but I think this recipe may become my holiday staple from here on out. And you must know, quite frankly, that pork is at the near bottom of my preference list when it comes to eating meat, poultry, or fish. You notice on my side bar that "pork" category is meager in number. But this..... this has a high ranking at the top. The juices and oils from the bacon render right into the pork.... and then that whole grain mustard and rosemary... the garlic...

.. and I can't sit here and quack about how good it is without handing the approbation to my mom who did double duty this Thanksgiving in whipping out this yumster as well as a lovely turkey. What a pleaser she is!

At any rate, make it. This holiday. Wow your buffet guests with something elegant and not-too-complicated. My one suggestion is to use a meat thermometer in gauging when it's done- and a pork roast can be taken out of the oven when the middle has reached an internal temp of 160 degrees. Remove it, foil it, and let is rest and reconstitute its juices for at least 15 minutes. 160 is your magic number- and you will have a lovely roast to admire and eat (on the contrary, any higher of a temperature you may end up with bone dry meat. Bleach).

Enjoy!!

Honey Mustard Pork with Bacon and Herbs

{Giada}

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

2 tablespoons honey

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 (3 1/2-pound) center-cut, boneless, pork loin roast

12 slices bacon (about 1 pound)

For the pork: Put an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, add the Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, honey, garlic, and rosemary and mix together until smooth. Arrange the pork in a 9 by 13-inch baking pan and spread the mustard mixture evenly over the pork. Starting on 1 side, lay a piece of bacon, lengthwise, on the pork. Lay another slice of bacon on the pork making sure to slightly overlap the first piece. Continue with the remaining bacon, until the pork is fully covered in bacon. Using 3 pieces of kitchen twine, secure the bacon in place. Roast for 1 hour. Cover the pan, loosely, with foil and roast for another 10 to 20 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork registers 160 degrees F. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the roast to a cutting board. Cover the pan with foil and allow the pork to rest for 20 minutes. Remove the kitchen twine and slice the pork into 1/2-inch thick slices.