Q: I'm having my book club over for dinner. I'd like to serve a nice salad. What do you recommend? A: (from Ask DIY chef Paul Sturkey) A salad is a great choice for an informal dinner with friends, but it shouldn’t be skimpy or boring. Try this Pork Loin Salad with Maple Bacon Dressing. It's a spinach salad with roasted pork -- and the maple dressing gives it a delicious salty-sweet flavor. Plus, it's truly hearty enough to serve as a meal. So, let’s get started....
- The first step is to cook the pork loin; the amount should be about two pounds. Pat the pork loin dry and then lightly coat it with olive oil.
- Next, season it with about 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and 3 tablespoons of an all-purpose spice blend of herbs, peppers and spices. Alternately, cajun spice is another good way to season the pork.
- Then heat a couple tablespoons of grape seed oil in an oven-proof skillet. Sear the pork loin about 2 minutes on all sides.
- Place the pork into a 350-degree oven. Roast about 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature is 155 degrees. Once it's roasting in the oven, it's time to start the maple dressing.
- The first step is to cook the bacon. Heat a skillet to a medium-low temperature; if it's too hot, the bacon will burn before it cooks all the way through. Chop three bacon slices into even-size pieces to ensure they'll cook evenly. After the bacon has cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove it from the pan. Place on a paper towel to drain and save drippings for the dressing.
- In a food processor, combine 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 1 cup balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard and the bacon drippings. Set processor on high, then slowly drizzle in 2 cups of salad oil or grape seed oil and process until emulsified.
- Add in about 3/4 cup real maple syrup: turn the processor on, slowly adding the syrup to the mixture. Then pour the dressing into a bowl. Finish off the mixture with some chopped shallots (to taste), then add the bacon and some sundried cherries sundried cranberries. Give the mixture a final stir, and it's ready to go on the salad.
- After the pork has roasted about 20 minutes and rested for 15 minutes, it's ready to be sliced. Cut the roast into equal-size slices. Now it's time to assemble the salad: toss about one pound baby spinach (cleaned and picked) with about two tablespoons of dressing. Then arrange 8 slices of pork in a circle on a dinner plate, and place the spinach salad in the center. Drizzle on the remaining dressing.
- To accompany the salad, serve with warm French bread or corn bread sticks. Either choice is a perfect partner to this tasty salad.
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