ROASTED PORK LOIN WITH CARDAMOM-CURRANT JELLY SAUCE

​Requires overnight marinade
 
Serves 8 to 10
                                                                                                                                   
Marinade & roast:
12 cardamom pods
12 juniper berries
½ navel orange, peeled, cut into pieces
1 cup dry red wine
½ cup olive oil
3 whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 6-pound center-cut pork rib roast with 8 to 10 bones
 
Sauce:
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups dry red wine
1 ½ cups pitted prunes (about 10 ounces)
3/4 cup prune juice
½ cup brandy
3 cinnamon sticks
3 bay leaves
½ cup red currant jelly
 
For marinade:
1.Combine first 10 ingredients in blender.  Blend until spices are finely ground, about 2 minutes.
2.Place pork into a large (2 gallon) re-sealable plastic bag.  Pour marinade over pork; turn to coat.
3.Arrange bone side up and refrigerate at least 12 hours or overnight.
 
For roast & sauce:
1.Preheat oven to 350°F.
2.Scrape marinade from pork.
3.Pat pork dry with paper towels.
4.Sprinkle pork generously with ½ teaspoon cardamom, salt and pepper.
5.Heat oil in large roasting pan set over 2 burners on medium heat.
6.Add pork and cook until brown, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes.
7.Add wine, prunes, prune juice, brandy, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves to pan.
8.Transfer to oven.  Roast uncovered until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of pork registers 160°F, basting often with pan juices, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
9.Transfer pork and prunes to platter.  Tent with foil.
10.Strain pan juices into large glass measuring cup.  Spoon 4 tablespoons fat off top of pan juices.
11.Pour pan juices into heavy small saucepan.  Add jelly and remaining ½ teaspoon cardamom.
12.Simmer until jelly melts and sauce lightly coats spoon, about 8 minutes.  Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve pork with sauce.
 
Note: Ask the butcher to cut into the chine bone of the rib roast to make it easier to carve.