Pork Loin with Roasted Onion-Apricot Rice

By Lv2Cook

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup dark rum
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• 2 cups pieces (1/2-inch) Vidalia or other sweet onion
• 2 cups pieces (1/2-inch) red onion
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped boiling onion (about 1/2 pound)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (2-pound) lean boned center-cut pork loin roast
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 garlic clove crushed
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 garlic clove crushed
• 3 cups hot cooked rice
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds toasted

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 450º.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl; cover with plastic wrap and vent. Microwave at HIGH for 1 1/2 minutes; set aside.

Combine onions, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 13 × 9-inch baking pan; stir well to coat. Bake at 450º for 30 minutes on bottom rack of oven.

Trim fat from roast; place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Combine cracked black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and crushed garlic; rub over surface of roast. Insert a meat thermometer into thickest part of roast. Stir onions; place roast on next-to-bottom rack in oven. Bake onions and roast at 450º for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350º. Bake an additional hour, stirring onions after 30 minutes. Stir apricot mixture into onions; continue baking onion mixture and roast 10 minutes or until thermometer reaches 160º. Remove roast and onions from oven. Cover roast loosely with foil; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in brown sugar and remaining ingredients to onion mixture.

Serving Size: 3 ounces pork and 1 cup rice