Roasted Pork Loin with Portuguese Chestnuts

Happy Saint Martin’s Day! Or “Dia de São Martinho” in Portuguese, this a really fun tradition in Portugal where we celebrate the new year’s wine, we eat chestnuts and have a big party, there are plenty of recipes perfect for the occasion and this is one of them, chestnuts are a perfect pair with pork, so this is a very typical meal for occasion.

While I used frozen chestnuts on this recipe (for convenience), if you have fresh, it’s best to blanch and peel them before using, also in alternative you can just boil or bake them apart and then join them with the pork near the end to finish roasting in the oven, let’s check the recipe!

Roasted Pork Loin with Portuguese Chestnuts

Servings: 12
Time: 1hr 40mins
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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Classic portuguese pairing of pork loin and chestnuts all roasted together, its absolutely delicious.

Ingredients

Pork Loin – 800gr
Paprika – 2 Soup Spoons
White Wine – 1/2 Cup
Onion – 1 Large
Green Bell Pepper – 1
Garlic – 6 Cloves
Chestnuts – 400gr (Frozen)
Bay Leaf – 1
Olive Oil – A Pinch
Oregano – A Pinch
Sweet Chili – A Pinch
Paprika – A Pinch
Cayenne Pepper – A Pinch
Pepper – A Pinch
Salt – A Pinch

Directions

Start by seasoning the pork loin, no need to cut off any excess fat, pour in two spoonfuls of paprika, a dash of olive oil, a pinch of sweet paprika, cayenne pepper, pepper, oregano, and a little coarse salt, use your hands to coat everything very well, and let the meat rest.
Preheat the oven to 200 °C and prepare a tray, pan or platter to put in the oven.

Slice the onions and green bell pepper into thick slices, peel and crush the garlic cloves, pour everything in the bottom of the dish, season with a pinch of salt, pepper and olive oil, put the pork on top and drizzle the white wine and add the bay leaf.

You will cook the pork loin for a total of 40 to 45 minutes, but first put it in the oven for about 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 180 °C and turn the meat, cook for about 20 minutes more, then turn the meat over again and add the chestnuts, cook for another 10 to 15 minutes until the meat is nicely browned on top and the chestnuts are tender.
Remove from the oven, and it’s ready to serve just like this or with potatoes or carrot rice, bon appétit!

Notes: The cut of the pork loin matters, if you buy a thinner pork loin then you have to shorten the time or a thicker one you have to leave it in the oven a little longer, a lot of this is to allow time for the interior to get cooked and the exterior to caramelize, if in doubt, buy a meat thermometer, when you think it is ready, stick it to the center of the meat, the temperature inside should be between 65ºC to 68ºC, less and the meat is probably under, and more, and it is already overcooked.

This recipe for Roasted Pork Loin with Portuguese Chestnuts was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Lombo de Porco Assado com Castanhas foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.