Pork Loin for a Whole Family

With Damien's family here visiting, I had to come up with something for a bigger group. When I couldn't find the McCormick pulled pork packet, or a boneless pork shoulder for that matter, I decided on a pork loin that I found at Costco last time I was there. It was a huge 4 pound pork loin that was already in a onion and garlic marinade. It was so super simple. I just put in a roasting pan and cooked it for about an hour. I covered it which may have helped keep it moist. I used a meat thermometer to make sure it was fully cooked and then I sliced it and put the slices back into the roaster so that I could coat the individual slices with the juices that had pooled in the bottom of the pan.

I served it with some Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and steamed (well, microwaved really) broccoli. It was actually really tasty and good. Comfort food. We paired it with a nice bottle of La Crema Chardonnay, one of our favorites, and had a lovely dinner with Damien's siblings.

This is how I made the mashed potatoes and they turned out really well:

Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes
(for 6 people)
7 or 8 medium or large Yukon Gold potatoes
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 cup of milk (more or less to taste)
salt and pepper
1/4 cup Asiago cheese, shredded

Cut the potatoes into chunks and place in a pot of water so that all the potatoes are covered. I don't peel the potatoes, but if you prefer you can peel them. Cook until soft (about 20 minutes). Pour the potatoes into a strainer to get rid of the water.

Put the olive oil in the emptied pot. Add the garlic and saute until lightly browned. Add the butter and pour the hot potatoes back into the pot. Add milk and coat the potatoes with the butter and milk. Use a masher to mash the potatoes in the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the cheese and mix.

I use Yukon Gold because they really are the tastiest for mashed or roasted potatoes. Check them out.

We top off our simple meal with some ice cream for dessert and everybody seemed happy. It was a great visit and I can't wait for them all to come back again.