By Said yes to the magazine column. Quarterly, eight hundred words, a food-and-ranch-life format that the editor described as 'literary but practical' — which is the description I'd use for the writing I already do, so the fit is obvious. The first column is due in September. The topic is mine to choose. I've been turning over possibilities all week: the elk chili, the apprenticeship, the idea of seasonal cooking as a form of attention. It'll resolve itself by August. The best ideas find their form when you're not looking directly at them.
Linda's visit is in three weeks. I told Mom and Dad about it — who Linda is, how we know each other. Dad listened without expression and then said he'd get the spare room ready. Mom immediately started planning what she'd feed them. That's how each of them expresses welcome: Dad through logistics, Mom through food. I'm both of them, which means I'll help with the room and plan the cooking.
The rescue facility sent me three new referrals this week — the caseload has grown steadily over the past two years to the point where the monthly day has become more like two days a month, and Kate has been paying me for the second day, which I wasn't expecting and which she said was non-negotiable. The work matters. The horses are getting better. Some things turn out the way you hoped they would.
Made a slow-roasted pork shoulder with harissa and honey — a combination I'd read about and been skeptical of, the heat and the sweet fighting each other. They didn't. They cooperated. The harissa paste I made from the dried chiles in the pantry — not the elk chili chiles, different ones, smaller and hotter. Ground with garlic and caraway and olive oil. The shoulder went in the oven at two hundred and fifty for eight hours and came out a different thing than it went in.
The week that brought a magazine column, Linda’s visit on the calendar, and a pay raise I didn’t ask for deserved a meal that matched it—something slow, deliberate, and better than the sum of its parts. The pork shoulder with harissa got me thinking about what I already know works: pork, heat, and a long oven. This rosemary pork loin is the version I come back to when I want the same patience-rewarded result with ingredients I can pull without a second thought, a recipe that has the same quality as that week—things turning out the way you hoped they would.
Rosemary Pork Loin
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 20 min | Total Time: 1 hr 35 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 to 3 lb boneless pork loin roast
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Pat the pork loin dry with paper towels and place it fat-side up in a roasting pan or oven-safe skillet.
- Make the rub. In a small bowl, combine the minced garlic, rosemary, olive oil, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes. Stir into a rough paste.
- Season the roast. Rub the herb paste evenly over the entire surface of the pork loin, pressing it into any folds or seams. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes while the oven finishes heating.
- Add broth and roast. Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the pan to keep the drippings from burning. Roast uncovered for 70–80 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 145°F.
- Rest before slicing. Remove the roast from the oven and tent loosely with foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes—this is not optional; it’s what keeps it juicy. Slice against the grain and serve with pan drippings spooned over the top.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 285 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 1g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 390mg