Festive Paleo Pork Loin with Figgy Chutney

Everything I eat in December tastes like Christmas or I’m just plain disappointed. I’m disturbingly festive and I want festive and flavorful food. Pork loin is great for dinner parties, or to make just for a small dinner if you portion it when you buy it.

This recipe even received compliments from my father, a very supportive fellow but who can be a bit picky when it comes to food. This proves that this entree is a people pleaser.

Festive Pork Loin with Figgy Chutney
3 1/2 pounds pork loin
2 Granny Smith apples
1 orange (sliced)
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 large shallot (sliced)
7-8 dried figs (de stemmed an chopped)
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups of water
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Whole cloves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

I couldn’t find figs, so I had to buy dried figs. This means that my first step had to be to reconstitute the dried figs so the wouldn’t be chewy in the chutney. So, I grabbed a smallish saucepan and dropped in my figs, then covered them with water. It took about 2 cups of water to cover them, but you may need to add more – which is fine. Do what you need to do to keep the figs covered in water until they get soft and mushy. Add the tablespoon of honey. I used a lovely raw local honey. Simmer like this for about 15 to 20 minutes. The figs will absorb water, so, again, don’t be afraid to add water. Add in the apple, ground clove, all spice, cinnamon, and orange zest. While that’s stewing , it’s time to clarify the shallots. In a small saucepan, toss the shallots with olive oil over a medium heat until translucent. Stir the shallots into the rest of the chutney mixture. The chutney mixture should be getting pretty thick, so turn down the heat a bit and cover to keep the moisture in the pan.

Place the pork in a tinfoil lined roasting pan and start by scoring any visible fat. This will ensure the meat gets evenly flavored. Smear about 3 tablespoons of the chutney over the top and sides of the pork. Pork hast a nasty habit of drying out, and this will keep more of the moisture from escaping while packing in the flavor. Using the whole cloves like the tacks, tack orange slices all over the upper side of the pork.