Orange Glazed Pork Loin

Eat locally!

I always eat locally. No matter where I am that's where I'm eating.

I've complained before about this new obsession with being a "locavore" (God, there aren't enough travails in all of Hell to punish the genius who came up with that word). Allegedly we're all doing the environment good by buying locally. Yet every week, I see all the same "local" farmers putting on 500 miles a week to supply the various local Farmers' Markets. Twenty to twenty-five farmers, driving 10,000 combined miles a week to sell produce to a couple thousand people, who also have to drive untold miles to get to the various markets. Efficient, yeah right.

Now, word comes that "organic" food can contain up to 5% non-organic "material"; my doesn't that sound tasty? An article in the Washington Post shows that producers are allowed to add all sorts of strange things to food and still be able to label it organic. Wood starch in your grated cheese, mmmmm, give me some more of that. Or how about "Organic Mock Duck" that uses additives to make the "protein" have a stringy texture like real duck. Yummmm-eeeeeee!

"Organic Mock Duck"? That is wrong on so many levels I don't know where to start.

Look folks, just eat - OK? Try and support your local farmers and small businesses, but don't get nuts about it. Local vegetables should be fresher, so buy from the local farm stand. But when you're leaving see if the burlap sacks of corn are from your state or from 10 states away. Make sure you're not just buying the idea of buying locally.

Enough ranting. Today's recipe is Orange Glazed Pork Loin. Now the pork is from my butcher who gets it from some Amish guy in Ohio. The honey is from a local farmer. But the oranges aren't local. Oranges in Michigan will never be local. So forgive me my out of state citrus and try to enjoy...

Orange Glazed Pork Loin

adapted by Crabby from Weber's Real Grilling

2 pound boneless pork loin

Glaze

2 cups orange juice

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves

4 whole cloves

1 TBSP Honey

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Zest of 1 orange

1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

In a small saucepan combine the orange juice, rosemary, cloves, red pepper flakes and orange zest.

Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer the mixture until about 3/4 cup of glaze remains, about 30-45 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly then strain the mixture into a bowl. Add in the Worcestershire sauce.

Pre-heat grill to medium high.

Reduce heat to medium and sear the pork loin fat side down for two minutes. Turn the pork loin and baste with the glaze.

Baste the pork every ten minutes until done. Depending on the heat of your grill and the thickness of the pork, total grilling time will be from 35 - 50 minutes.

Insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the loin. I cook my pork loin to 140 degrees, this may leave the very center of the meat slightly pink.

Remove the pork loin and allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Helpful Hint: After searing, I place the pork loin on an aluminum foil sheet. This traps the basting glaze and helps caramelize the bottom of the roast.

Not bad crablings. This meal takes a bit of time so save it for a lazy Saturday or Sunday evening. A lounge chair by the grill and a beer or two should do the trick.

Until next time, remember you can do it, you can cook.