- 20-24 oz pork loin (1 center-cut pork loin or 1 package of 2 pork tenderloins)
- 1 sweet yellow onion, peeled and cut into thumbnail-size pieces
- 1 package dried cranberries
- 1-2 individual size bottles cheap wine (any flavor), 2-3 cups total
- 8 oz any style Italian salad dressing
- 1 teaspoon Tony Chacherre’s Cajun seasoning
- Pam cooking spray
The night before cooking, brown the pork loin: spray a non-stick skillet with Pam cooking spray and cook loin on one side on high heat for until the skillet side is streaked with brown. Rotate to brown opposite side, then use tongs to brown remaining sides and ends. Browning only increases the visual appeal of roasted meats, don’t worry about trying to actually cook the meat at this stage.
Pour Italian dressing, wine, cranberries, and seasoning into a large bowl with a tight fitting lid or 2-gallon bag with a tight seal. Add the browned pork loin. Set aside.
Spray Pam on the skillet and brown the onions 3-5 minutes. Add to pork loin in marinade and swirl to combine the contents.
Refrigerate overnight. The next morning, turn the tightly sealed container upside down and continue to refrigerate. This allows the other side to marinate in the wine, fruit and vegetables.
To prepare, pre-heat oven to 425° F.
Place a colandar in a large skillet and pour the marinade and loin into the colander. Remove the loin and shake or scrape off excess fruit and onions.
To cook the pork loin, line a baking sheet with foil, spray foil with Pam and place the pork loin on the oiled foil. Bake, uncovered, at 425° F for 30 minutes. Note: Cutting the loin into 2-3 sections prior to baking will help the thickest part of the loin cook more thoroughly, but it can also dry out the meat in a hot oven.
While the loin is baking, simmer the onions, cranberries, and marinade in skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. When most of the liquid has been absorbed, turn off heat and move skillet away from hear.
After the meat has cooked for 30 minutes, pull the pan out of the oven and arrange the cooked onions and cranberries along the top of the loin.
Continue baking 15 more minutes.
To serve the pork loin, slice it on a carving board and transfer to a platter, arranging the cranberries and onions around the sliced meat.
Adapted from Aunt Sandy’s recipe (Sandra Chambers Gallamore)
