ROASTED PORK LOIN WITH CARDAMOM-CURRANT JELLY SAUCE

Roasted Pork Loin with Cardamom-Currant Jelly Sauce image

Yield Serves 8

Number Of Ingredients 22

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Pork
12 cardamom pods
12 juniper berries
1/2 navel orange, peeled, cut into pieces
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup olive oil
3 whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 6-pound center-cut pork rib roast with 8 to 10 bones
Sauce
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups dry red wine
1 1/2 cups pitted prunes (about 10 ounces)
3/4 cup prune juice
1/2 cup brandy
3 cinnamon sticks
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup red currant jelly

Steps:

For pork:
Combine first 10 ingredients in blender. Blend until spices are finely ground, about 2 minutes. Place pork in large glass baking dish. Pour marinade over pork; turn to coat. Arrange bone side up, tent loosely with foil and refrigerate at least 12 hours or overnight.
For sauce:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Scrape marinade from pork. Pat pork dry with paper towels. Sprinkle pork generously with 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, salt and pepper. Heat oil in large roasting pan set over 2 burners on medium heat. Add pork and cook until brown, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes.
Add wine, prunes, prune juice, brandy, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves to pan. Transfer to oven. Roast uncovered until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of pork registers 160°F, basting often with pan juices, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Transfer pork and prunes to platter. Tent with foil. Strain pan juices into large glass measuring cup. Spoon 4 tablespoons fat off top of pan juices. Pour pan juices into heavy small saucepan. Add jelly and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cardamom. Simmer until jelly melts and sauce lightly coats spoon, about 8 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve pork with sauce.