Roasted Pork, Fennel, and Onions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Step 2

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup sage. Cook and stir until leaves are slightly crisp, about 1 minute. Remove leaves with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels. Cool, wrap in paper towels, and seal in a plastic bag. Set aside. Reserve the butter.

Step 3

Mix the pepper and cumin in a small bowl. Rinse roast and pat dry; rub evenly with the pepper and cumin. Tuck remaining 1/2 cup sage leaves under the strings on the smooth (fattiest) side of the roast. Set the pork, herb side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.

Step 4

Spread olive oil in the bottom of a medium baking dish. Thickly slice fennel and place in the dish. Toss to coat with the olive oil, and drizzle with 3/4 cup orange juice. Place onions in the dish cut side down.

Step 5

Place roast on the center rack in the preheated oven. Place fennel and onions on lower rack. Bake the pork and vegetables 1 hour, or until pork reaches a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) and vegetables are tender. Turn fennel once during bake time. Reserving drippings, transfer meat to a platter and keep warm; let stand at least 10 minutes. Keep the vegetables warm in the baking dish.

Step 6

Place the roasting pan with reserved drippings over high heat on the stove top, and mix in the reserved butter from Step 1, the remaining 3/4 cup orange juice, stock, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, and stir to scrape up any browned bits in the pan. Cook, stirring often, 10 minutes, or until reduced by about 1/2.

Step 7

Arrange onions and fennel around the pork. Garnish with fennel tops, sprinkle with the fried sage leaves, and season with salt to serve.