Bacon-Wrapped Maple Pork Loin

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 55 minutes

Yield: Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• For Brining Pork
• 8 cups Water (I needed a bit more to cover the pork)
• 1/3 cup Kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp. Crushed black peppercorns
• 2 sprigs Fresh sage (I used dried)
• 1 large Garlic clove
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 (4-4.5 lb.) Boneless pork loin roast, trimmed
• For Roasting Pork
• 3 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. Finely chopped fresh sage (I used dried)
• 3 Tbsp. Maple syrup (Grade B or amber, I used Grade A)
• 16 Bacon slices
• 1 Tbsp. Cider vinegar

Cooking Directions

1. BRINE PORK
2. Combine all brining ingredients EXCEPT pork loin in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan and heat over high heat, stirring, until salt is dissolved. Cool to room temperature, uncovered, about 2 hours.
3. Add pork to brine, making sure it is completely covered by brine (this is where I added just plain water to the brine to make sure the pork was covered), and marinate, covered and chilled, 8 to 24 hours.
4. ROAST PORK
5. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350F.
6. Pat pork dry (discard brine, remove any strings from pork) and transfer to a roasting pan. Stir together garlic, sage, and 1 Tbsp. syrup in a small bowl and rub all over pork.
7. Lay bacon slices crosswise over loin, overlapping slightly, and tuck ends of bacon underneath loin.
8. Roast pork until thermometer registers 140F, about 1-1/4 hours. Stir together 1 Tbsp. syrup and vinegar until combined. Brush vinegar mixture over bacon slices and continue to roast pork until thermometer registers 150F, about 10 minutes more.
9. Remove from oven and let stand in pan 15 minutes.