herb crusted pork loin with mango mustard sauce

during the winter months, i am all about comfort food. i love hunkering down with snuggly warm blankets, big cups of tea and cozy warm slippers. i find myself roasting root veggies and whole chickens. you know the kind of meals that take a little prep time and then into the oven they go. you can sit back and wait for the magic to happen. the whole house fills with an aroma of yummy deliciousness. it’s the aroma that says home, the one that rises up to greet you if you have been out all day in the cold. this is one of those recipes, packed with flavor,  but just good old fashioned comfort food.

this recipe starts with tons of fresh herbs which really packs tons of flavor. i love the combo of sage and rosemary together. it is so woodsy and homey. i think i could just sit and smell either one of them all day. yum! so just imagine what your house will smell like with both of them roasting up in the oven, enticing you to come to the dinner table.

the ingredients i start with:

1 big bundle of rosemary

1 big bundle of sage

three large cloves of garlic

two pork loins

8 red potatoes, cubed

1 mango, peeled and chopped

3 Tbsp of apple cider vingegar

about 1/4 cup of honey

about 1/4 cup of whole grain mustard

1/4 cup chopped red onion

salt

pepper

i start by finely chopping all of the sage and rosemary with the garlic. you should have plenty to go around. divide the mixture in half. add half to the potatoes and set the other half aside for the pork. mix your potatoes with your herbs and garlic mixture, as well as a few drizzles of olive oil. roast in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour, until they get all brown and crispy.

while the potatoes are cooking, prepare the pork loins. drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper generously. then take your herb garlic mixture and add several tablespoons of mustard. mix thoroughly with your fingers and spread over the pork loins.

when the potatoes are about halfway done, put the pork loin in the oven. roast the pork loin twenty to thirty minutes or until the thickest part of the meat reaches 170 degrees. let the meat rest about ten minutes before you cut into it.

while the pork is cooking, prepare the sauce. saute red onion in a small saucepan.

add the chopped mango and saute for a few more minutes. add a squirt of mustard, a splash of apple cider vinegar, a good squirt of honey and salt and pepper to taste. reduce heat and cover with a lid. simmer the sauce until the meat is completely finished.

after the meat has rested for around ten minutes, slice the pork and fan out on your plate. ladle some sauce over the pork and serve with the roasted potatoes.