Apricot Glazed Pork Loin Roast

The perfect balance of sweet, savory, and smoky.

My wife found this recipe last year in a cookbook called Best-Loved Holiday Recipes published by Meredith Corporation.  We had volunteered to host the staff Christmas party and she decided she wanted to try something new.  So she he pulled out this cookbook for the first time ever and thumbed through the pages until she came across this recipe.  When she said she wanted to try it I was a little worried because it was only a couple of days before the party, we were responsible for providing the meat, and I am not a big fan of cooking anything for the first time for an event.  But I have to say, it turned out amazing.  The first couple of times we made this dish we did it in the oven.  That's the way the recipe was written and my wife enjoyed cooking it in the oven.  Only when she suggested doing it on the grill did I jump at the chance to take this pork loin roast to the next level.  Smoke adds one more layer of flavor to an already incredible piece of meat. Honestly, the rub is what I like most about this recipe.  It makes the whole house smell like the holidays and it works perfectly with the apricot glaze.

Internal temp should read 135 degrees

Rub Recipe
One 3-pound boneless pork loin roast
One and a half teaspoons ground cumin
Half teaspoon garlic salt
Half teaspoon ground cinnamon
Half teaspoon ground ginger
Quarter teaspoon ground cloves

The Glaze
One cup of apricot preserves and three tablespoons of white wine vinegar.

Mix together all of the spices and rub generously over the entire pork loin.  Wrap it up in plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.  Bring your grill temp up to 325 degrees, add a couple of chunks of hickory, remove the plastic wrap, put the pork loin on the grill, and let it cook over indirect heat until the internal temp. reads 135 degrees.  Should take about an hour or so.  

With about ten minutes left until the pork loin reads 135 degrees, preheat your oven to 325.  In a small sauce pan cook the apricot preserves and vinegar over medium heat until the preserves are melted, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat.  With the pork loin now off the grill, place the meat on a broiler pan and brush generously with the glaze.  Roast it in the oven for about 15 minutes.  Remove it from the oven and let it rest for about 15 or 20 minutes.  Slice it, brush on the rest of the glaze, and serve.