Here is an easy recipe for an old-fashioned pork loin roasted in the oven and served with a delicious onion gravy. It’s a fantastic dish from Czech cuisine!
➜ About this pork recipe
Skinless and boneless pork loin is known for having a lot of lean meat, so it is perfect for slow roasting at a low temperature to keep the roast from drying out.
In the recipe, I explain how to roast a pork loin quickly and easily on a bed of sautéed onions and garlic. From these vegetables and drippings, you will later make gravy with a rich, deep flavor that goes on top of the roast when served.
The recipe comes from the Czech Republic, known for its delicious pork dishes. The Czech name for this recipe is "veprova pecene z karé" where karé is the Czech cut of meat that corresponds to the English pork loin.
MY TIP: Learn how to make the famous Czech pork roast known as knedlo vepro zelo!
➜ Ingredients
To make pork loin with homemade gravy, you will need:
- Pork loin roast; boneless. I always choose a roast that still has some of the fatty tissue attached to it. This will protect the roast even better from drying out. Score the fat layer with several cross-cuts.
- Salt and black pepper; to taste. Simple seasoning for a great result!
- Sunflower or rapeseed oil; an even better choice is lard, which is, however, not widely available
- For the gravy: yellow onions, cloves of garlic, water
✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.
➜ How to cook a slow pork loin roast in the oven
STEP 1: Peel and roughly chop the onion and garlic. Thoroughly salt and pepper the pork roast on all sides. To ensure the pork holds its shape well during roasting, tie it with kitchen twine.
STEP 2: In an oven-safe baking dish, heat the oil to a higher temperature. In well-heated fat, brown the roast on all sides. Set the seared meat aside on a plate.
STEP 3: Reduce the heat to medium. Put the chopped onion and garlic in a roasting pan with the browned bits and sauté for about five minutes, stirring constantly. Add a little more fat or a tablespoon or two of water if needed.
STEP 4: Preheat the oven to 300°F/150°C, lower and upper heat. Place the roast over a bed of sautéed onions and garlic and add half a cup of water. Roast uncovered in the preheated oven for an hour.
STEP 5: When you're done, remove the pork roast from the pan and wrap it in a sheet of foil to rest.
STEP 6: In the meantime, prepare a flavorful gravy with onion, garlic, and drippings.
Carefully transfer the contents of the baking dish to a mixing bowl and briefly mix using an immersion blender. If the mixture is too thick, add a few tablespoons of water.
Place a sieve over a saucepan and pour the blended mixture into the sieve. Using a spoon, push it through the sieve to get a smooth gravy in the pan without a large amount of residual onions. Heat the gravy, taste it, and add salt or pepper if necessary.
STEP 7: Remove pork from the foil. If any juice is left in the aluminum foil, pour it into the gravy. Using a sharp knife, cut the roast into thin slices, about ⅓ inch (0.8 cm) thick.
➜ Serving
Put a suitable side dish on the plate. Our family likes buttered mashed potatoes garnished with fresh herbs the best. Arrange three to four slices of roast alongside and top with the gravy.
It's also a good idea to incorporate veggies, perhaps in the form of marinated coleslaw.
➜ How to reheat pork loin roast
If you have leftover pork roast, reheat the slices in a pan with gravy or a little water. Cover the pan with a lid and turn the heat to medium.
If you heated the roast to a high temperature, it could lose its juiciness and dry out.
➜ Useful tips
- To prepare the pork roast, I used a heavy-bottomed cast iron roasting pan, which heats well, holds heat perfectly, and can also be baked in the oven. A Dutch oven, if you have one, is also a great option.
- If you want the gravy has a bolder flavor, use chicken broth to baste instead of water.
- The gravy is not thickened with flour, so it is also suitable for those on a gluten-free diet.
More pork recipes:
- Slow roasted pork belly
- Oven roasted pork belly bites
- Pork goulash
- Easy pork chops with gravy
- Czech pork knuckle (koleno)
- Pork liver with gravy
Get more ideas in this category with pork recipes.
Tried this recipe?
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Oven Roasted Pork Loin with Gravy
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork loin roast in whole
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 medium onions peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
- 2 Tablespoons sunflower oil (or canola)
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Peel and roughly chop 2 medium onions and 2 cloves garlic.
- Thoroughly season 2 pounds pork loin roast with 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper on all sides. To ensure the pork holds its shape well during roasting, tie it with kitchen twine.
- In an oven-safe roasting pan, heat 2 Tablespoons sunflower oil to a high temperature. Once the oil is hot, brown the roast on all sides. Set the seared meat aside on a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped onion and garlic to the roasting pan with the browned bits and sauté for about five minutes, stirring constantly. If needed, add a little more fat or a tablespoon or two of water.
- Preheat the oven to
300 °F, lower and upper heat. Place the roast over a bed of sautéed onions and garlic and add half ½ cup water. Roast uncovered in the preheated oven for an hour. - When the roast is done, remove it from the pan and wrap it in a sheet of foil to rest.
- Meanwhile, prepare a flavorful gravy with the onion, garlic, and drippings. Transfer the contents of the baking dish to a mixing bowl and blend briefly with an immersion blender. If too thick, add a few tablespoons of water. Pour the blended mixture through a sieve into a saucepan, pressing it through with a spoon to create a smooth gravy. Heat the gravy, taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt or pepper if needed.
- Remove the pork from the foil. If there is any juice left in the foil, pour it into the gravy. Using a sharp knife, cut the roast into thin slices, about ⅓ inch (0.8 cm) thick.
Notes
- The basic recipe makes 4 portions.
- SERVING: Place a suitable side dish on the plate. Our family prefers buttered mashed potatoes garnished with fresh herbs. Arrange three to four slices of roast alongside the potatoes and top with the gravy.
- If you want the gravy has a bolder flavor, use chicken broth to baste instead of water.
- To prepare the pork roast, I used a heavy-bottomed cast iron roasting pan, which heats well, holds heat perfectly, and can also be baked in the oven. A Dutch oven, if you have one, is also a great option.
Amanda says
Not really a Czech dish but could tell before cooking due to ingredients. It was basically just comfort food (definitely use chicken stock) . Might make again for guests who have a bland palate.
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Thank you for your feedback. Many dishes in the Czech Republic today are a mixture of national cuisines from all over the Central Europe region. Quite possibly this is one of them. It's been made for years in our home and has been a success - which is not to say that someone else will not find it bland. I fully respect that.
Vicki says
Made this just as written and it was delicious. For the gravy, I used an immersion blender on the onions and the result was so velvety smooth and savory that we ate it as is.