Holiday Roast Pork With Wild Rice & Mushroom Stuffing & Roasted Potatoes

Disclosure: This post is in partnership with Meatme.ca. I was sent samples of their meat for review purposes. As usual, all opinions expressed and images are solely mine.

It's already November, and since Thanksgiving has already passed, I'm already getting into the festive holiday spirit.

Yes, I'm one of those people who puts out their Christmas tree right after Remembrance Day.

Some may say it's too early, but when the November and December fly by in a blur, I want to ensure I preserve some of those holiday memories.

Even more so now, with my little kids, that I want to create those new and old traditions and happy memories at this time of year.

I'm lucky that we get to celebrate Christmas with our little family and my parents every year.

And as with any holiday celebration, there's always LOTS of homemade food on the table.

My mother is a phenomenal home cook and baker and we're so blessed to be able to enjoy delicious meals, endless Christmas treats, and have our home filled with joy, laughter and noise.

For me, it's not about the presents, but the fact that we're gathered together in the same place, enjoying family time, making those memories come alive.

I'm thrilled to partner up with Meatme.ca which is a local meat delivery/subscription box that delivers right to your door. So super convenient.

What I love is that they partner with local farms within BC (Okanagan and Fraser Valley) and they're committed to the highest animal welfare standards by personally going to each farm and checking to see how the animals are treated.

With so much about animal welfare in the news, it's great to see Meatme.ca going the extra mile to revolutionize the meat industry.

Co-founded by Top Chef Canada alumnus Trevor Bird (Fable Kitchen, Fable Diner), you know that meat you're getting from Meatme.ca is top quality.

What I personally like is that you can see where the cuts of meat are coming from, as in which farm they're from, and what they're actually fed. (None of their meats are fed antibiotics or hormones, which is very important to me).

The beef is GMO-free and 100% grass fed which is great for people who have certain intolerances.

There's lots of options including fish, lamb, chicken, beef and pork, and you can customize your box to your liking.

This holiday pork roast (which, by the way, was from Blue Sky Ranch in Merritt, BC) is a straightforward recipe that will surely impress your guests. Perfectly cooked, well-seasoned, succulent, juicy pork with a crispy crackling top.

Seriously.

Just look at that crispy skin!

This roast pork is moist, tender, and full of flavour, with minimal prep.

A little homemade organic cranberry sauce adds a little sweet tartness to the savoury juicy meat.

I've paired this Holiday Roast Pork with a Wild Rice and Mushroom stuffing, as well as some Roasted Potatoes on the side, which would complete your holiday meal. 

What are you most looking forward to during the holidays? I'd love to know! Tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment below. Happy Cooking!

Holiday Roast Pork
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
one 5 lb (6-rib) bone-in pork loin, chine bone removed if possible
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped finely

Method:

The day before:
Rinse pork loin and pat dry with clean paper towel. Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, chopped rosemary and massage the seasonings thoroughly into the pork loin.

Place the pork loin fat side up into a roasting pan and put it into the fridge uncovered for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

The day of:
1 hour prior to roasting, bring the pork loin to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 400F. Place the pork loin into the oven and roast for 1 hour.

Reduce the temperature to 325F and continue to roast for another 35 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 150F.

Remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil. Let it rest for at least 15-20 minutes before carving.

Carve the meat according to where the rib bones are, and serve immediately with Wild Rice & Mushroom Stuffing and Roasted Potatoes (recipes below).

Wild Rice & Mushroom Stuffing
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 T vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 lb cremini mushrooms, diced
1 C wild rice, rinsed and drained
4 C chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

Method:
In a large pot, add in the oil and heat over medium high heat.

Add in the onion, garlic, carrots and celery and saute until slightly softened, about 2 minutes.

Add in the mushrooms and stir for another 2 minutes. Next, add in the wild rice and chicken broth.

Reduce to a simmer a cover with a lid, letting it cook for about 40-45 minutes (or longer if you like your rice a little softer), until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Remove, fluff the rice with a fork and serve along side the roast pork.

Roasted Potatoes
Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:
2 lbs mini/creamer potatoes, skins on, cut in half
2 T vegetable oil
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper

Method:
Preheat oven to 400F. Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.

Toss the potatoes with the oil, salt and pepper onto the baking sheet.

Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, turning once halfway.

Remove and serve with roast pork.