Roasted Pork with Leeks and Lemon-Oregano

Ingredients

• Pork loin joint, skin on 1kg
• Large leeks 3
• Garlic cloves 5
• Large onion 1
• Roast potatoes (prepared or parboiled) 500g
• Carrots 2-3
• Olive oil 4 tbsp
• Dried oregano 2 tsp
• Lemon 1
• Salt 1 tsp
• Black pepper 1/2 tsp
• Dry white wine or chicken stock 100ml

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan/Gas Mark 6).
2. Pat the pork loin dry with kitchen paper. Score the skin deeply with a sharp knife, being careful not to cut into the meat. Rub the skin generously with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper, working it into the scores.
3. Trim the leeks, wash thoroughly, and slice them into thick rounds. Peel and quarter the onion. Peel and roughly chop the carrots. Peel and lightly crush the garlic cloves.
4. Heat the remaining 3 tbsp olive oil in a large, oven-safe roasting tin over a medium-high heat. Sear the pork loin on all sides until golden brown. Remove the pork from the tin and set aside.
5. Add the prepared leeks, onion, carrots, and garlic to the roasting tin. Stir them around in the pork juices. Place the pork loin on top of the vegetables, skin-side up.
6. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (160°C fan/Gas Mark 4).
7. Pour the white wine or stock into the bottom of the tin, avoiding the pork skin. Sprinkle the dried oregano over the pork.
8. Continue roasting for approximately 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the pork is cooked through and the crackling is crisp. Baste the pork and vegetables with the pan juices halfway through this final cooking time. If the crackling is browning too quickly, you can loosely tent the pork with foil.
9. While the pork rests, zest the lemon and then halve it. Squeeze the juice from one half over the roasted vegetables in the tin. Stir the lemon zest into the juices.
10. Remove the pork from the tin and let it rest on a board for 10-15 minutes before carving. Serve the carved pork with the roasted vegetables, leeks, and the lemony pan juices.