Spiced Maple Pork with Sweet Potato Hash
Wednesday, February 9, 2011 -
After allowing the pork to come to room temperature, I covered it in olive oil. After seeing maple syrup in the pantry, I opted for a sweet and spicy pork. I rubbed the pork with cayenne, thyme, salt and pepper and proceeded to bast it with maple syrup while it roasted in the oven.
On the side, I opted for sweet potatoes though hubs isn't a fan. I'm determined to make him a fan due to my love affair with the root vegetable. Plus, he likes potatoes, I don't understand. I decided to make a hash out of them and add some spinach to really get that nutrition level up. I began by seasoning up some sauteed onions with salt, pepper and garlic powder. The shredded sweet potatoes were then added. Unfortunately, I had the wrong attachment on my KitchenAid, so I got a very fine potato versus the thicker cut I was looking for. So my hash ended up almost mashed, but it still cooked well and tasted delightful.
I added some nutmeg and let it continue to marinate in flavor. I threw in the leftover spinach we had in the fridge for it to finish up as I took out the pork. The pork was done to my liking (I love it a little pink, don't hate) after basting it in maple syrup for the last 40 minutes. It was a big chunk of meat and I wasn't anticipating it taking so long, but it was worth the wait for sure.
The pork was extremely juicy and bursting with flavor. It was a great cut of meat and the maple syrup not only left it subtly sweet, but gave it a thin and crisp outer layer. The syrup was perfect with the spice of the cayenne pepper I had rubbed on it. It was fantastic, so fantastic that we didn't have leftovers from the meal. The potatoes and spinach, though not the texture I wanted, were great with the pork. They had their own sweetness, but were elevated with the nutmeg and pepper I had used to season it.
Delicious weekday meal, and I'm happy to report, hubs ate all of his potatoes!