Roast Pork with Apples

Roast pork is one of our family favorites. When my Daddy would come to our house every Sunday for dinner, if I didnt have a pot of sauce and meatballs on the stove, I had a pork roast in the oven.

A four pound pork loin will feed about 6-8 people and any leftovers reheat beautifully in a pan with a little broth or water. Roasted apples and vegetables can go in the same roasting pan as the pork roast.

• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• garlic powder
• dried rosemary
• small Vidalia onions, cut into wedges
• a bulb of fennel cut into wedges
• Honey crisp apples, peeled and halved,

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (or 175C).
• Place pork in roasting pan. In small bowl make a paste of olive oil, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon rosemary - spread evenly over pork roast. Roast the meat, basting occasionally.
• For roasted vegetables, toss evenly cut chunks of any combination of butternut squash, apples, onion, carrot and or fennel in a large bowl with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
• After about 15 minutes of cooking, add the layer of vegetables into the roasting pan with the pork - the vegetables will absorb the juices from the pork and add to the flavor of the sauce that you'll make from the pan drippings.
• USE A MEAT THEROMOMETER! Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit will give you a slightly pink juicy center. If you prefer your pork well done, you can cook it to an internal temperature of up to 155 degrees Fahrenheit - the meat will continue to cook once removed from oven and reach about 160. No more though or it could be dry and tough.
• After removing from the oven, allow the roast to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing. Serve with pan drippings and roasted vegetables.