This Delicious Pork Recipe Is All About the Cooking Method

Cooking on low heat has been proven to yield great results.

Cooking en cocotte yields tender, flavorful meat, but choosing the right cut of pork for this method proved a challenge. America's Test Kitchen/TCA

We knew from our experience with chicken that cooking in a covered pot over low heat for an extended period of time produces wonderful results, so we decided to develop a pork roast recipe using this method.

We chose a boneless pork loin roast that was about 7 to 8 inches long and 4 to 5 inches wide, and we found that leaving a 1/4-inch-thick layer of fat on top of the roast is ideal. If your roast has a thicker fat cap, trim it back to be about 1/4-inch thick. As with chicken, we found that browning the pork was an essential step in developing deep flavor.

Spice-Rubbed Pork Roast en Cocotte With Caramelized Onions

Serves: 4 to 6

• 1 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) boneless pork loin roast, trimmed, and tied at 1 1/2-inch intervals
• 5 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon ground anise seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions, peeled, halved, and sliced thin
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 250 degrees F. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Toss the coriander, paprika, salt, brown sugar, anise seeds, cumin, and cayenne together in a small bowl, then rub the mixture evenly over the pork.