This glazed pork loin takes a relaxed approach to holiday entertaining

My husband and I started to call the holiday season “rest-mas” to embrace the idea of truly relaxing and restoring during this break from our usual routine. We have given ourselves a pass to avoid the frenzy of elaborate decorating, exchanging gifts or attending every event we get invited to.

Instead, we nap a lot; bundle up for long, leisurely walks; watch movies; read books; and take time making meals that feel festive but don’t require much effort. We might invite a couple of friends over, but we won’t change out of our comfy pants.

This recipe is perfectly tailored for our festive-and-chill holiday lifestyle. It feels celebratory – an elegant, glazed pork roast surrounded by aromatic half-moons of roasted squash and broccolini, all served with a fig-balsamic glaze – but is quite easy to pull together.

This glaze, which doubles as a sauce, is the highlight of the dish. You start by soaking dried figs in hot water, then transfer the softened fruit with the water to a blender or food processor, along with balsamic vinegar, honey and grated fresh ginger. Half of that fruity, zingy mixture gets slathered onto the pork to form a glaze as the meat roasts, and the other half is warmed in a small saucepan.

As the pork finishes cooking, sliced delicata squash, seasoned with a mixture of honey, ginger, coriander and cinnamon, and long-stemmed pieces of broccolini go into the oven to roast until they are tender and lightly browned.

The resulting meal rings of holiday pleasure, with juicy slices of the fig-glazed pork and fragrant, gold and green vegetables, made sumptuous with the sweet, tangy sauce. Yet, made with a lean cut of meat, fresh vegetables and whole fruit, it’s a welcome respite from all the rich holiday fare – a nourishing, festive meal that keeps you in relaxation mode.

Glazed Pork Loin With Delicata Squash and Broccolini

This festive pork loin roast is slathered in a fig-balsamic glaze that doubles as a fruity sauce. Served with warmly spiced delicata squash and roasted broccolini, it’s a low-lift, special meal that’s well suited for the holiday season.

 

½ cup (2½ ounces) dried Mission figs, stemmed and quartered

⅓ cup hot water, plus more as needed

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey, divided

½ teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger, divided

1½ pounds pork loin (see notes)

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided

¾ teaspoon fine salt, divided

¼ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 medium delicata squash (12 ounces), halved, seeded and sliced ⅓-inch thick

1 bunch broccolini (7 ounces), trimmed, larger pieces sliced lengthwise

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

Position a rack in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, cover the figs with the hot water and soak until softened, about 15 minutes.

Transfer the figs, with the soaking water, to a small blender or mini food processor. Add the vinegar, 1 tablespoon of the honey and ¼ teaspoon of the ginger, and process until the mixture is fairly smooth, with the consistency of a loose jam, stopping the blender or food processor as needed to scrape the sides with a flexible spatula. If needed, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. You should have about ¾ cup. Transfer about half of the mixture (6 tablespoons) to a small saucepan, and the remainder to a small bowl.

Place the pork loin in a small baking dish. Rub the meat all over with 1 teaspoon of the oil and season with ¼ teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Transfer to the upper rack in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and spoon a generous amount of the glaze in the bowl over the meat, spreading it evenly with the back of the spoon. Return the pork to the oven for another 10 minutes, then repeat with the remaining glaze in the bowl. Return the pork to the oven, and continue roasting for another 15 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer the dish to a heatproof counter, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes, or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees.

About 10 minutes before the pork is done roasting, arrange the squash on a large sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Toss to coat, then push the squash to one half of the pan.

Place the broccolini on the other half of the pan. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and season with the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt. Toss to coat evenly, then arrange the broccolini stalks in a single layer on. Transfer the sheet pan to the lower rack in the oven and roast for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1 tablespoon of honey, the remaining ¼ teaspoon of ginger, the coriander, cinnamon and the remaining ⅛ teaspoon of pepper.

Once the vegetables have roasted for 10 minutes, drizzle the honey mixture over the squash and toss to coat evenly. Return the pan to the upper rack in the oven and continue roasting for another 10 minutes, or until the squash is tender and starting to brown and the broccolini develops crisped tops.

While the vegetables finish cooking, set the saucepan with the glaze over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until just warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes.

Slice the pork into medallions and serve, with the vegetables and warmed glaze.

Yields: Four servings

Make ahead: The glaze can be prepared and refrigerated up to three days in advance.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to three days.

Substitutions: For dried figs, use dried, pitted dates. For honey, use maple syrup or agave. For delicata squash, use other winter squash, such as butternut, acorn or kabocha. For broccolini, use broccoli rabe or broccoli florets.

Notes: Pork loin is often sold tied (trussed) with butcher’s string; you can ask your butcher to tie it if you like or do it yourself. Keeping a roast tied helps it to cook more evenly and keep its shape, but you can also roast the loin untied.