This super easy Irish Beer Braised Pork Loin recipe makes for one of the most tender and delicious roasts you will ever have.
What a tremendous depth of flavor you get from beer braising. The pan sauce is so rich and incredible. We were really quiet for a moment at first tasting of this Irish Beer Braised Pork Loin. Like taken aback not expecting so much flavor. It’s tasting so good, your just looking at each other, but not wanting to talk with your mouth full, so your eyes get really big and you let out a big mmm, this is really really good.
So, I bet you’re wondering what kind of beer makes for such an awesome sauce.
Well it’s not just one, and it’s not the normal Guinness you’d expect. Even though we both have a lot of Irish blood, we’re not especially fond of a dark Guinness stout, but the blonde is quite an unsung hero and now we’re wondering why it’s not as popular or more so even than the dark…even though this probably has something to do with the fact that Guinness stout has been made for over 250 years, and the blonde is made for Americans and has only existed since 2014.
As for the other beer, we went with Smithwick’s Irish Red Ale. Now, many of you reading this have never heard of Smithwick’s, but have heard of Guinness. I have a feeling this is all in how both of these beers are marketed here in America. However, in Ireland, Smithwick’s is actually consumed more than Guinness, and has been brewed for about 50 years longer!
Seems like we have the Food Network on a lot around the house. It just kinda goes on in the background and we’re not really watching. But occasionally, something catches your attention and I think this was one of those days.
Probably Guy Fieri on an episode of Triple D where someone scored the top of a roast, and then rubs the garlic and herbs into the slits making it look so pretty and taste so good. You make those cuts right through the top of that fat cap and all that flavor garlic and herbs can ooze into the meat.
So when you take the Irish Beer Braised Pork Loin out of the Dutch oven, set it on your cutting board and loosely cover with foil, so it can rest. You don’t want to cut it too soon or you’ll lose a lot of the juices, making it dry. We let it rest at least 10 minutes.
While that’s resting I strain the the pan sauce through a mesh strainer and then just let it reduce a few minutes to thicken. The color and the flavor is amazing! It just takes a simple pork loin over the top and turns it into an excellent eating experience!
What can you serve with this Irish Beer Braised Pork Loin?
- Baked Sweet Potato Halves or for something different try our Spinach and Artichoke Scalloped Potatoes
- Everyone loves these Crispy Skillet Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Garlic Butter or a simple side of Oven Roasted Asparagus
- My personal favorite is this Sweet Creamed Corn Casserole but this Loaded Cauliflower Casserole is actually really delicious too, so you can have lots of options or more things to come back and add to future meal plans.
Some tips:
- What is the best way to thaw frozen meat? The best way to defrost meat is in the refrigerator in its wrapping and placed in a large mixing bowl or container that won’t leak while it thaws, so everything in fridge stays clean and protected from thawing raw meat. Follow these guidelines for defrosting pork in the refrigerator:
- Small roast will take 3-5 hours per pound
- Large roast will take 4-7 hours per pound
- When you getting ready to prepare your dinner, the pork can be set out a while to get near room temperature, not cold straight from the fridge, so remove it about 30 minutes or so, still covered, and set in a cool place.
- Make sure to let your roast rest before slicing. Resting your Pork loin will allow the meat to cool a bit, and retain the juices, providing a more tender and flavorful dish. If you slice too soon, or just out of the oven you’ll lose a lot of the natural juices all over the cutting board. So just loosely tent with foil for 10-15 minutes while finishing up the side dishes and getting the table set.
- The National Pork Board recommends cooking Pork to 145 degrees Fahrenheit
- Can pork be refrozen if it has thawed? According to the USDA, once the food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without cooking, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through defrosting. After cooking raw foods which were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked food.
If you LOVE this Irish Beer Braised Pork Loin recipe, try this Pork Roast with Brown Sugar Apple Dijon Glaze OR this Trisha Yearwood’s Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin!
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Irish Beer Braised Pork Loin
This super easy Irish Beer Braised Pork Loin recipe makes for one of the most tender and delicious roasts you will ever have.
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb boneless pork loin (with the fat cap)
- 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 12 ounces beer (we used half a Guinness Blonde and half a Smithwick's Red Ale)
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Score uniform cuts through the fat about 1/4" deep and season well with salt and pepper all around the roast.
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- In a large skillet or Dutch Oven heat oil over medium high heat, brown roast for 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Whisk together beer, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano and honey in a medium bowl. Pour mixture over top of roast. Tuck the minced garlic into the cuts you scored on the top.
- Roast in oven for 15 minutes at 425°F then lower the temperature to 300°F and continue to roast for another 1 hour 45 minutes. Insert thermometer to insure it's fully cooked to a temp of at least 145°F.
- Return the pot to the stove top and transfer the roast to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Discard the bay leaves. Strain off the fat, bring the pan sauce to a boil over medium heat; reduce until thickened, about 8-10 minutes, scraping up the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size About 8 Oz. PrecookedAmount Per Serving Calories 1397Total Fat 65gSaturated Fat 20gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 35gCholesterol 544mgSodium 354mgCarbohydrates 8gFiber 0gSugar 6gProtein 180g
Nutrition data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix, and should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate.
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Jennifer Fulk
Monday 17th of February 2020
Hi! was wondering if you cover the Dutch oven with a lid while it's roasting in the oven? Also, can this be made in a slow cooker? It looks like a good candidate for it. If the beer is hard to find, are there any others you would suggest? Thanks for info. This looks so good!
Mr. Yum
Monday 17th of February 2020
Yes the Dutch oven is covered in the oven, we will get the instructions patched up for that in a bit. As far as the slow cooker goes I am not 100% on the timings for that. However, since we are talking about meat and a long cook time, there is no reason why it should not be able to work. I would think on high you could come in at close to 2 hours or so, and low would probably be closer to 4-5 hours. Either way I would be sure to check with a meat thermometer to make sure that things are not undercooked.
The recipes we used for inspiration here called for using a stout or porter in place of the red ale (Smithwick's). And the Guinness blonde was originally supposed to be a pale ale or lager. So it really is just a matter of finding two beers that are distinctly different that you enjoy. But here are a few ideas: The Guinness blonde is very easy to swap out. Other very similar styled beers include Sam '76, Molson Golden, Yuengling, or any other American style lager. The Smithwick's is going to be a bit harder to do a direct swap, while keeping the same style. You can try to find Samuel Adams Irish Red, Murphy's Irish Red, or even Saranac Irish Red Ale. You could also try using a red ale...something like New Belgium Fat Tire Amber. It will be close, but not 100% the same.