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Video: ‘Barefoot Contessa’ makes delicious roast pork

  1. Transcript of: ‘Barefoot Contessa’ makes delicious roast pork

    MATT LAUER, co-host: We're back at 8:44. This morning on TODAY'S KITCHEN , WHAT'S FOR DINNER , roast loin of pork with fennel. It's a great meal that takes advantage of the season's best flavors. Here with the recipe is Ina Garten . Her latest

    cookbook is called "Barefoot Contessa: How Easy is That?" Ina , nice to see you again. I...

    Ms. INA GARTEN: And we all like easy, right?

    LAUER: We love easy. You know, it's -- your business is like being in the fashion business because the seasons change and you have to get new inspiration. And what are you inspired by in fall?

    Ms. GARTEN: Well, you know, I think in the -- in the summer you want fresh, light and sort of quick things; in winter you want things that are comforting, so your body really tells you you want to go towards potatoes, apples, fennel, things that are warm and comforting. And loin of pork.

    LAUER: You like loin of pork. Yeah, exactly.

    Ms. GARTEN: It's so...

    LAUER: Why do you choose this?

    Ms. GARTEN: ...it's so easy to make because you just throw everything in the oven. So what I'm going to do is a loin of pork with fennel and potatoes and carrots and onions all in one pan. Into the oven, you set a timer, you're good to go.

    LAUER: We just joked about the fact people are going to go to the supermarket and they're going to see this.

    Ms. GARTEN: Yeah.

    LAUER: And they're going to say, 'What am I going to do with this?'

    Ms. GARTEN: And what do you do with that? So...

    LAUER: Fennel is not something a lot of people are real comfortable making.

    Ms. GARTEN: Well, what it is is it has a very strong anise flavor. So what you do is you cut it like this and you cut it in big thick wedges. And when you cook it, it gets very sweet. So you throw this away, nobody wants to eat that, and you just cut the whole thing in wedges and it goes into a pan. And what I've done actually is I've cooked for about a half an hour potatoes, carrots, fennel, all of this together. And onions with olive oil, salt and pepper. Into the oven and...

    LAUER: Just softens it enough.

    Ms. GARTEN: ...it just starts to cook it. Then I take that loin of pork, which I'm going to put a whole mustard glaze on. Mustard, thyme, garlic kind of glaze on it. Just put the whole thing right on top of the -- on top of these vegetables. Into the oven for another 30 to 50 minutes.

    LAUER: All right. Now let's get you in trouble here, OK?

    Ms. GARTEN: OK.

    LAUER: The USDA says...

    Ms. GARTEN: I'm always in trouble, Matt.

    LAUER: ...when you're cooking pork, I think they say you want to have it to about 142, 143 degrees.

    Ms. GARTEN: Right.

    LAUER: You disagree slightly.

    Ms. GARTEN: Because when you take it out and you put it under foil, it's going to keep cooking.

    LAUER: So you can take it out at about 138 degrees?

    Ms. GARTEN: So I take it out 137. About 138 degrees and it keeps going. So what I do is -- I'll show you how -- this is how it comes out when it's done. And what I do...

    LAUER: And there's that nice crust from that..

    Ms. GARTEN: Exact -- from the mustard. Instead of doing it this way, which is hard to measure, you do it this way, right in the middle, and you always get the middle every single time, so.

    LAUER: OK. And let it rest after it comes out of the oven anyway, it's a good idea.

    Ms. GARTEN: You let it rest, really important.

    LAUER: All right, I'll meet you around here.

    Ms. GARTEN: So -- OK. So...

    LAUER: One of my favorite comfort foods for fall and winter is polenta.

    Ms. GARTEN: It's my -- one of my favorite too.

    LAUER: I love it.

    Ms. GARTEN: And it's so easy to do. It cooks for about five -- about 10 minutes, and then you add all kinds of things. You would add like a cup of Parmesan cheese , which gives it real spiciness. It's -- just dump it right in. A little bit of creme fraiche for richness. Little bit of butter right in. And you've got polenta. I mean, that's the whole thing.

    LAUER: What's that song my kid sings? Somebody call 911. Shawty fire burning on the dance floor.

    Ms. GARTEN: I'm not saying to eat the whole thing...

    LAUER: Right, exactly.

    Ms. GARTEN: ...but a little bit is really delicious.

    Ms. GARTEN: And this is how it comes out.

    LAUER: And you can't mess that up?

    Ms. GARTEN: You can't mess it up.

    LAUER: No? All right.

    Ms. GARTEN: You really can't. And I 'll show you how this tastes, it's just fantastic. And so this is the loin of pork. Oops.

    LAUER: Thank you. I'm a lefty. Sorry.

    Ms. GARTEN: Loin of pork. You slice it really thickly. And for dessert...

    LAUER: Oh, is that good.

    Ms. GARTEN: Isn't that good? I mean, it just feels good.

    LAUER: That is really good.

    Ms. GARTEN: And it's autumn, that's what you feel like. So...

    LAUER: You've got cranberries.

    Ms. GARTEN: ...cranberries, apples, orange juice, a little brown sugar. And then what I do is I take a batter that's really almost like a pancake batter.

    LAUER: I thought that was more polenta. Put the polenta right in there.

    Ms. GARTEN: And you just pour it right over the top just like that. It's the easiest thing in the world. I call this Easy Cranberry and Apple Cake . And you put that in the oven and what comes out is this. And this you have to taste.

    LAUER: I was going to say...

    Ms. GARTEN: Because it's really unbelievable. And the apples and the cranberries are right there. Whoops .

    LAUER: Got it.

    Ms. GARTEN: And you've got a great meal and it's really...

    LAUER: Ooh , it's hot!

    Ms. GARTEN: Oh, it's hot. Oh, I'm sorry!

    LAUER: That was right out of the oven.

    Ms. GARTEN: Are you OK?

    LAUER: That's delicious, but it's very hot. It's very good. Ina , thank you very much . Now someone truly call 911. Up next -- it's really great. Good to see you.

TODAY recipes
updated 10/4/2011 4:56:28 PM ET 2011-10-04T20:56:28

Recipe: Roast loin of pork with fennel

Ingredients
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  • 1 3-pound boneless pork loin, trimmed and tied
  • 3 small fennel bulbs, tops removed
  • 10 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced diagonally
  • 10 small potatoes, quartered
  • 2 onions, thickly sliced
  • 4 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. With a mortar and pestle or in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, grind together the garlic, salt, and thyme leaves. Add the mustard and combine. Spread the mixture over the loin of pork and allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the fennel bulbs into thick wedges, slicing through the core. Toss the fennel, carrots, potatoes, and onions in a bowl with the olive oil, melted butter, salt, and pepper. Transfer the vegetables to a large roasting pan and cook for 30 minutes. Add the pork loin to the pan and continue to cook for another 30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the middle of the pork reads exactly 138 degrees. Remove the meat from the pan and return the vegetables to the oven to keep cooking. Cover the meat with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.

Remove the strings from the meat and slice it thickly. Arrange the meat and vegetables on a platter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Serving Size

Serves 6

Recipe: Creamy parmesan polenta

Ingredients
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
  • 1/4 cup creme fraiche
  • 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
Preparation

Place the chicken stock in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over medium-high heat until the stock comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and very slowly whisk in the cornmeal, whisking constantly to make sure there are no lumps. Switch to a wooden spoon, add the salt and pepper, and simmer, stirring almost constantly, for 10 minutes, until thick. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly while you're stirring. Off the heat, stir in the parmesan, creme fraiche, and butter. Taste for seasonings and serve hot with extra parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.

Serving Size

Serves 6

Recipe: Easy cranberry & apple cake

Ingredients
  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over stems
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange zest (2 oranges)
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 1/8 ground cinnamon, divided
  • 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the cranberries, apple, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. With the mixer on medium, add 1 cup of granulated sugar, the butter, vanilla, and sour cream and beat just until combined. On low speed, slowly add the flour and salt.

Pour the fruit mixture evenly into a 10-inch glass pie plate. Pour the batter over the fruit, covering it completely. Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle it over the batter. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean and the fruit is bubbling around the edges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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