Earl Grey-Crusted Pork Loin with Fennel and Apples

I love tea. I’ve been drinking it since I was a child. I used to take it the way the English do, with milk and honey. But somewhere along the way I forwent the milk, and now I just drink it with honey. Sure I’ll add stuff to it every so often like lemon or bourbon (especially when I have a cold or sore throat), but most of the time I take it straight with just a teaspoon (or two) of honey. My favorite tea is Chamomile for all the health benefits it has. But every now and then I’ll change things up and have a nice cup of Earl Grey. I enjoy it because of its subtle bergamont flavor which is definitely more interesting than the standard Orange Pico.

While I often drink tea, I’ve never used it in food recipes before. But when I saw this tea-crusted pork loin in my Food & Wine magazine, I knew I had to try it. I was so intrigued by the idea of combining tea leaves I’d been drinking for years with salt and pepper and then rubbing it all over a piece of meat. It was just never anything I’d even considered. I mean, tea is for drinking, right?

The end result was surprising. The bergamot flavor from the Earl Grey melds with the pork in wonderfully unexpected ways. There’s a little bit of spice but the citrus that comes from the bergamot oil seeps into the pork loin, infusing the entire piece of meat with a distinct orange flavor. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever had before. Adding the apples and fennel to the roasting pan just finish off the whole entree for a dinner that’s out of this world.

If I get this kind of result from rubbing tea leaves over a piece of meat, I wonder what else I can use those leaves for. Maybe cake, or oooh, chocolate. Hmmm… I think I see some Raspberry Zinger brownies in my future.

Earl Grey-Crusted Pork Loin with Apples and Fennel

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons (or 6 bags) of Earl Grey tea
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons pepper
• 1 (3 pound) boneless pork loin
• 3 fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into 1 inch wedges (save a few fronds for the garnish)
• 3 cooking apples, like Fuji or Gala, cored and cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Whisk together the tea, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub all over the pork loin and set on a rimmed baking pan. Let stand at room temperature for 45 minutes to an hour.
3. Place the pork in the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
4. While the pork is roasting, place the apples and fennel in a large bowl. Drizzle with the oil, a little salt and pepper to taste and toss to coat.
5. Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F. Scatter the apple and fennel wedges in the baking pan around the pork and roast for another 35 minutes. Transfer the pork to cutting board and let rest for 10 – 15 minutes. Slice the pork, garnish with the fennel fronds and serve with the fennel and apple wedges.