Lombo Assado (Brazilian Roast Pork Loin and Tomatoes)

• 1 kg pork loin roast (lombo) with its fat cap
• 2 level tsp salt for the meat, plus a pinch for the tomatoes
• freshly ground black pepper
• fresh rosemary, 6 sprigs (leaves of 1 chopped for the meat), plus 2 bay sprigs
• about 2 tbsp olive oil (1 tsp for the marinade, 1 tbsp for searing, a drizzle over the tomatoes)
• 6 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
• 600 g cherry tomatoes on the vine (about 3 vines)
• ½ cup (120 ml) water
• 1 cup (240 ml) dry white wine
• 1½ tbsp butter (for the gravy)
• 1½ tbsp plain flour (for the gravy)

Method

The cook speaks Portuguese; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. For subtitles, tap CC in the video, then Settings › Subtitles › Auto-translate › English.

1. Strip and finely chop the leaves of 1 rosemary sprig. Pat the loin dry with paper towel and make several cuts halfway into the underside (not the fat side) so the seasoning gets in. 0:14
2. Rub the loin all over with 2 level tsp salt, pepper, the chopped rosemary and 1 tsp olive oil. Turn it cut side up, cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes, then leave 15 minutes at room temperature. 2:42
3. Heat the oven to 180 °C. In a roasting tray arrange the crushed garlic, the cherry tomatoes on their vines, the bay sprigs and the remaining rosemary. 4:36
4. Heat a large frying pan over high heat with a little olive oil and sear the loin, fat side down first, until golden on every side, including the ends. Move it to the tray. 7:04
5. Off the heat, pour ½ cup water into the pan, then return to the heat and scrape up the browned bits. Add 1 cup white wine and bring to the boil. 8:53
6. Drizzle olive oil over the herbs, garlic and tomatoes and season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Pour the pan liquid into the tray around the meat, not over it. 10:32
7. Roast for about 45 minutes, until the juices run clear when pierced (68 °C inside). Rest the meat for 10 minutes before slicing thinly. 11:50
8. For the gravy, strain the tray juices. Melt 1½ tbsp butter, stir in 1½ tbsp flour for 1 minute, whisk in the juices and simmer 3 minutes until thickened. Serve with the meat and roast tomatoes.

Tip. Serves 8 (Rita Lobo says 1 kg is enough for 8). She suggests viradinho de milho (creamy corn) alongside; greens keep the meal lower in carbs. The gravy step is in her written recipe, not shown in the video.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.