Oven-Braised Pork Roast with Apples

Serves 12 (I halved this recipe for dinner for us, and we had lots of leftovers)

1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 (3 1/2-pound) boneless pork loin roast, trimmed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup thawed orange juice concentrate
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
4 Rome apples, each cored and cut into 8 wedges
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1. Combine 3/4 teaspoon salt and next 8 ingredients (through cloves). Rub evenly over pork. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 425°.

3. Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork to pan, and cook 4 minutes, browning all sides. Remove pork from pan. Add onion to pan; sauté 1 minutes. Return pork to pan. Add apricots, orange juice concentrate, raisins, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover and bake at 425° for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325° (do not remove pork from oven); bake 20 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion of pork registers 160° (slightly pink). Remove pork from pan, reserving cooking liquid. Place pork on a platter; cover with foil.

4. Remove apricots and raisins from pan with a slotted spoon; set aside. Bring the broth mixture to a boil over high heat; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat.

5. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples; cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Stir in reserved apricots and raisins, reduced broth mixture, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 3 minutes. Slice pork.

Served with asparagus and couscous.

Results: Did you see that part about letting the pork sit for two hours? Yeah, neither did I until I was preparing dinner. I let mine sit about 30 minutes, and it was still delicious. This pork was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I couldn't stop eating it! However, it was way more work than I was prepared for. I would save this dish for company or for the holidays. I really thought Steven's new-found interest in pork and the apples would encourage him to try it, but he didn't touch it. I think Henry ate a few bites of pork, but he was all about asking for more raisins.