What to Make When Pork Loin Is on Sale
Pork loin is a wonderful cut of meat for the budget cook. Large pork loins lend themselves to making lots of tender meat at once to feed a family for a few days, or to cook and freeze for later meals. When it's on sale, it's an even better buy. And it's regularly on sale at most grocery stores because it's a less well-known cut of meat compared to pork chops or pork tenderloin.
Despite the similar name, however, pork loin and pork tenderloin aren't the same cut of meat. In fact, they cook quite differently. A pork tenderloin is a thin, long, boneless cut of meat, where as pork loin is a wider, fatter cut of meat that can come boneless or bone-in. Pork loin does better when cooked low and slow, like smoking, roasting, or slow-cooking.
When you see pork loin marked down at your store, stock up for a few meals. Go ahead and grab an extra loin for freezing, too. The thick cuts freeze well, and you've always got a great meal just waiting in your freezer.
Read More: What Is Pork Tenderloin and How Is It Different From Pork Loin?
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What's a Good Sale Price for Pork Loin?
Pork loin, also called pork loin roast, is typically priced at $3.99 to $4.99 per pound. Sales typically mark down 50 cents to one dollar per pound. A great buy is under $3.50 per pound.
Boneless pork loin can be more expensive than bone-in pork loin, so if you go for the cheaper bone-in loin, you can cut it away or adjust cooking times to account for the additional minutes needed to reach the proper temperature.
*Disclaimer: Prices vary by location. Ask your butcher or super market manager for typical prices at your store so you can monitor sale prices.
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Balsamic Roasted Pork Loin
Four ingredients, an overnight marinade, and a slow roast in a hot oven reveals how wonderfully juicy, tender, and flavorful pork loin can be. Because there are so few ingredients, the quality of them is vitally important. Make sure you buy a good quality balsamic vinegar; cheaper vinegars can be biting and sharp, not rich and bright.
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Cajun Roasted Pork Loin
Searing pork loin and then roasting it results in a juicy, tender loin with crispy, flavor-packed crust. In this recipe, the flavor comes from a variety of spices you likely have on hand (cayenne pepper, dried oregano, ground mustard, and garlic). For a one-dish meal, the whole roast is surrounded by carrots, bell peppers, celery, and onions. Everything is cooked until tender or to proper temperature. It's comforting and crowd-pleasing, with a hint of mouth-warming spice.
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Roasted Pork Loin
Consider this your classic pork loin recipe. It's also one of the most budget-friendly ones, too. With just five ingredients (plus salt and pepper), you can turn a boneless pork loin roast into a company-worthy dinner, or meat for a variety of dinners for the week (sandwiches, tacos, and more). Don't want to buy a whole bottle of wine for the half cup that's listed? Just use chicken broth.
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Quick Savory Cranberry Glazed Pork Loin Roast
If you catch pork loin on sale near the holidays, grab it for this celebration-worthy main dish. "This simple, 1-hour roast is our favorite Christmas dish and voted most likely to be served if the President were to drop in for dinner- LOL! I love serving this entree because it causes me NO stress and everyone raves over it," wrote recipe creator goodfood4ursoul. They add you should make another batch of the cranberry glaze to serve with the pork.
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Brined and Stuffed Pork Loin Roast
Fresh herbs are a bit more costly — and they go bad faster than dried varieties, of course — so if you're going to save money on a pork loin, spoil yourself with the splurge on fresh herbs for this special recipe. A brown sugar brine blunts the bright, herbaceous topping. Tangy goat cheese is a great complement to warm and crunchy walnuts. This is a really special dish, so share it with company proudly.
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Pork Loin Roast with Baby Bellas
Savory and delicious, the mushroom gravy on this tender pork loin comes together with just a handful of dried herbs, white wine, and chicken broth. The wine provides a brightness to the gravy that you won't get by doubling the chicken broth, but if you don't want the cost of a whole bottle, consider just using all chicken broth.
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Apple Butter Pork Loin
Shouldn't apple butter be reserved for biscuits or oatmeal? Sure — but this recipe will convince you it should go with pork loin, too. The apple butter is combined with warm spices like cinnamon and cloves and a bit of brown sugar for a unique dinner main.
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Orange Soy Pork Loin
"Wow phenomenal. It made the tenderest juiciest most flavourful pork loin I've ever had," wrote reviewer Artcitcwoman. "I added extra garlic because I am a garlic fiend!" Some reviewers say the rosemary isn't necessary. If you cut it, you'll save yourself a few dollars, and those reviewers suggest your recipe won't suffer for it.
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Wine and Dijon Marinated Pork Loin
This pork loin recipe proves the necessity of a well-stocked spice drawer. Buying spices is a bit of an investment, but once you have them, you can use them to add flavor to all types of dishes. Here, they're combined with a few high-impact ingredients like mustard and bouillon cubes for a simple, classic pork loin roast.
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Roasted Loin of Pork with Pan Gravy
"Juicy, tender pork covered in a pan gravy that is packed with flavor. Great to serve to guests! My mother-in-law who can't cook demanded I teach her how to make this! Substitute chicken stock for pork stock in the gravy, if you wish," writes recipe creator France C.
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Pan-Roasted 5-Spice Pork Loin
"This pan-roasted pork loin uses lots of spices and an Asian-inspired marinade for a truly flavorful cut of meat," writes creator Chef John. He suggests you use it for a Vietnamese bahn mi sandwich, but it would work well in tacos, atop nachos, or just alongside a vegetable and grain for a simple dinner.
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Grilled Pork Loin Chops
If you spot a sale on pork loin while you're eyeing chops or steaks for a barbeque, go ahead and garb the pork loin. You can turn it into thick pork loin chops that grill beautifully for your backyard cook-out. "Tangy, a little sweet, very moist and very easy to prepare -- you're going to love these grilled chops. They turn out wonderfully tasty with an awesome array of flavors. You might want to throw an extra chop on the grill for leftovers, because you will have a craving for it the next day -- guaranteed," writes recipes creator ScorpioGG.