Herbed Roast Pork

To make the lemon confit butter, place the butter in a medium bowl. Quarter the lemon and remove and discard any interior pulp. Using a small sharp knife, remove and discard any white pith, leaving just the zest, the deep yellow part of the rind. Finely mince the zest. Using a wooden spoon, incorporate the lemon zest into the softened butter. Season with a pinch of salt. To store the butter, transfer it to a sheet of parchment paper. Fold over half the parchment lengthwise and shape the butter into a log using a bench scraper, keeping an even thickness throughout. Twist the ends in opposite directions to secure. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. The butter can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Bring to room temperature before using.

Remove the pork loin from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before searing, about 1 hour.

Preheat an oven to 400°F (205°C).

Pat the loin dry. Using butcher’s twine, tie the loin to secure the meat for even roasting. Dry the meat well with paper towels and season liberally with about 1 Tbs. salt.

In a large oval or other roasting pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Turn the pan to coat it evenly with the oil, then add the loin and sear, turning occasionally, until browned and caramelized on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the loin to a cutting board and let rest about 5 minutes, until comfortable to touch.

Season the loin with pepper. Arrange the sage, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves all over the roast, securing the sprigs here and there under the strings. Return the seared roast to the roasting pan. Add the garlic, onion and lemon to the pan and drizzle everything generously with olive oil. Season the aromatics with salt and pepper.

Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 130°F (55°C), about 45 minutes.

Remove the butcher’s twine, discard the aromatics (but reserve the lemon quarters) and let the meat rest on a wooden cutting board before carving, 10 to 15 minutes (until its internal temperature rises to 135°F/57°C). Add a couple of knobs of lemon confit butter to the top of the roast while it rests.

Carve and serve, arranging the slices on a platter with the lemon quarters and additional fresh herbs. Serves 6 to 8.

Adapted from French at Heart by Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini (Abrams Books, 2025)