Loin of Pork with Green Peppercorns served with Zucchini Gratin

Wow - we had a perfect 10 dinner tonight! I am forever searching for a pork recipe that keeps it tender and moist and I finally found one. This is really quite easy to prepare, the key is to not overcook it and make sure and let it rest for 15-20 minutes so the juices redistribute. I did a lot of research on how to cook pork loin etc, there are many theories out there from high heat initially then to lower heat, or this recipe cooks the pork high heat the entire time. The bone in gives the pork more flavor but you can certainly use a boned pork loin. Green peppercorns in brine - now this is a difficult ingredient to find. After going to 4 different stores I finally found them at Williams Sonoma for $5. They really do add a unique flavor, but if you don't add them, I would add a bit more crushed fennel to the sauce or even try capers. Green peppercorns come from Madagascar which is actually the fourth largest island in the world situated 250 miles off the east coast of Africa. The zucchini gratin can be prepared a day in advance and is scrumptous. I'm sure you can substitute a different kind of cheese, but the gruyere is really divine. It forms a crust on the top of the gratin. This would be a great dish to bring to a party or holiday dinner.

origin - Ina Garten/Barefoot in Paris
difficulty - relatively easy

Loin of Pork with Green Peppercorns

1 pork loin, bone in, Frenched and tied (about 5 pounds, 10 bones)
2 tablespoons good olive oil
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard, divided
4 teaspoons whole-grain mustard, divided
1 teaspoon ground fennel seed *use a mortar/pestle or food processor
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup good white wine
3 cups Homemade Chicken Stock, recipe follows, or canned broth *I always cook with good bouillon cubes - who the heck has homemade chicken stock in the fridge??
1/4 cup green peppercorns in brine, drained *find at Williams Sonoma

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Allow the pork to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Place the pork, fat side up, in a roasting pan just large enough to hold it comfortably. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, 2 teaspoons of each mustard, the fennel seed, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Rub the mixture on top of the pork and roast for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F. Remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, and cover tightly with aluminum foil for 20 minutes.

For the sauce, remove all but 1/4 cup of fat from the roasting pan. If there isn't 1/4 cup, add enough butter to the pan to make 1/4 cup total. Over medium heat, whisk the flour into the fat in the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock, the remaining 2 teaspoons of each mustard, the green peppercorns, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and slightly thickened.

Remove the strings from the roast pork, slice between the bones, and serve warm with the hot sauce.

Zucchini Gratin

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for topping *I only used 1/2 stick total!
1 pound yellow onions, cut in 1/2 and sliced (3 large) *too many onions, I used one medium vidalia onion, the sweetness of vidalia's works really well.
2 pounds zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch thick (4 zucchini)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup hot milk *1% worked fine.
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs *I used store bought crumbs
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese *grate on the finer side of the box grater.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a very large (12-inch) saute pan and cook the onions over low heat for 20 minutes, or until tender but not browned. 20 minutes is a bit long as they will continue to cook with the zucchini. Add the zucchini and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, or until tender. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes. Stir in the flour. Add the hot milk and cook over low heat for a few minutes, until it makes a sauce. Pour the mixture into an 8 by 10-inch baking dish.

Combine the bread crumbs and Gruyere and sprinkle on top of the zucchini mixture. Dot with 1 tablespoon of butter cut into small bits and bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly and browned.