Chermoula Rubbed Pork Loin
Chermoula is a herby marinade used in Moroccan, Tunisian, and Algerian cuisine. It’s similar to pesto or chimichurri and includes flavours of cumin, coriander, and red pepper flakes. Although chermoula is traditionally used to flavour seafood, it works well for many vegetables and meats.
Yield: Serves 6
October 01, 2020
Chermoula Rubbed Pork Loin
Ingredients
- 1 tsp toasted cumin seeds
- 1 tsp toasted coriander seeds
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 slice peeled ginger (1/8-inch)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2lb (900 g) pork loin roast, butterflied
Directions
- Grind cumin, and coriander seeds in a food processor or mortar and pestle until they resemble a coarse powder.
- Add cilantro, parsley, olive oil, ginger, garlic, lemon zest and juice, salt, and red pepper flakes. Pulse or grind until herbs are combined into a thick sauce. Reserve 1/3 cup of chermoula in refrigerator for garnishing pork after cooking.
- Unroll pork loin onto work surface. Rub half of the chermoula inside pork loin, then roll up and tie several times with butcher’s twine. Place pork into a large freezer bag. Pour in remaining chermoula, seal the bag and massage pork to fully coat. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight.
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Remove pork from marinade and place on a wire rack in a roasting pan. Roast until internal temperature reaches 140°F, about 30 - 40 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes. Remove twine and discard.
- Cut into 1/4-inch slices and arrange on a serving platter. Drizzle with reserved chermoula.
Nutritional analysis per serving:
405 calories, 30.2 g fat, 31.4 g protein, 3 g carbohydrates, 0.7 g fibre, 584 mg sodium
Tip: To butterfly the pork loin, with a sharp knife, first, remove any excess fat and silver skin. Place on a cutting board with the long side of the loin is vertically in front of you. With your knife parallel to the cutting board, slice pork loin one-third of the thickness from the bottom, cutting almost all the way through but leaving ½-inch connected on the opposite side, so it opens like a book. Open the pork loin up, then slice lengthwise again from the centre to the left side, leaving another ½-inch connected hinge.