Pork roasts remain a Sunday favorite

In our home, Sunday was always roast day. I can’t remember Mom ever cooking a roast during the week. Naturally, the roast was always preceded by pasta. Truth is, we’d usually fill up on pasta and ate little of the roast. So there usually was a lot left over. But Mom had great ways to use it up within a day or two.

When the roast was pork I always saved my appetite. It was and still is one of my two favorite meats.

There won’t be much left when you serve either of these pork roasts. The first is served with a spiced canned pear-wine sauce and will be exceptional when accompanied by couscous or an aromatic rice such as basmati or jasmine, which are now grown in the United States.

The second pork roast is most unusual, being glazed with a vanilla-honey mix sparked with cumin and basil. It is served with cinnamon-flavored wilted spinach tossed with sliced orange and pine nuts or almonds. This will appeal to even the tots at the table.

Pork Roast with Pear-Wine Sauce

2 (15-ounce) cans Bartlett pears in heavy syrup

4 pounds pork loin roast

Salt and pepper

2 cups dry white wine

2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth

2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2 tablespoons butter

Slice pear halves; reserve syrup. Set pears and syrup aside.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat large skillet over high heat and brown roast on all sides. Remove roast from skillet and set skillet aside. Place pork on rack in roast pan; loosely cover with foil. Bake 15 to 20 minutes per pound or until internal temperature reaches 145 F to 150 F.

Meanwhile, heat skillet over medium heat. Add wine and scrape off bits in pan; bring to boil. Add chicken broth and reserved pear syrup; simmer until sauce is syrupy. Add reserved pears, rosemary, cardamom, cloves, salt and pepper. Place roast on serving platter. Ladle sauce around pork. Serve with couscous or rice. Makes 12 servings.

Honey-Vanilla Glazed Pork Roast

2 pound boneless pork loin roast

3/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon McCormick pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon McCormick ground cumin

1 teaspoon McCormick basil leaves

Preheat oven to 375 F. Place pork on rack in foil-lined roast pan. Season with pepper and salt. Mix honey, vanilla, cumin and basil in small bowl. Brush half of mixture on pork. Roast 1 hour or until internal temperature is 150 F, brushing remaining glaze halfway through cooking. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve with Cinnamon Wilted Spinach (recipe follows).

Cinnamon Wilted Spinach

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 (5-ounce) bags baby spinach

1/4 teaspoon McCormick ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 navel orange, peeled, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons pine nuts or slivered almonds, toasted

Heat oil in large deep skillet over medium heat. Add spinach, cinnamon, pepper and salt; toss to coat. Sautê spinach until slightly wilted, about 2 ½ minutes. Remove from heat. Toss in oranges and pine nuts.