In Greek, arista means "best," and this pork roast fits the bill. It gets its great flavor from garlic and rosemary -- two ingredients, most adults agree, that improve everything. Still, for kids, they're an acquired taste. Pork Puppies are easier to like (keep your grown-up paws off, thank you!).
What you'll need
- 2 pounds boneless pork loin
- 1/4 cup bottled barbecue sauce (or blend 2 tablespoons each of ketchup and brown sugar with 1/2 teaspoon each of Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crumbled
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and slivered
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth (or the juice of 1 lemon plus enough water to make 1/2 cup)
- 1 tube reduced-fat crescent roll dough
How to make it
Heat the oven to 350ยบ. Trim the fat from the pork. For the kids' meal, cut about a third of the meat from the thinner end or, if you have 2 pieces, use the smaller loin. Slice the kids' portion into 8 small hotdog-size pieces. Coat with barbecue sauce and put them on a baking sheet.
Rub the remaining loin with the olive oil, salt, and rosemary. Place it in a roasting pan. Using a sharp knife, cut slits in the meat all around and insert slivered garlic. Pour the wine or vermouth over the pork.
Place both pans of pork in the oven. Let the roast cook for 1 hour, basting it occasionally. Remove the kids' pork after 40 minutes and wrap the pieces in triangles of crescent dough. Bake them on the same baking sheet (covered with clean aluminum foil) until golden, about 12 minutes.
When the Pork Arista is done, let it sit for a couple of minutes to reabsorb some of its juices. Slice it thinly and serve with the remaining pan juices. Serves 2 adults and 2 kids.
