Grilled Pork Loin with Milk Sauce

It doesn't sound appetizing, does it? You're probably sitting there saying, "WHAT? EW!" Well that's what I said when T told me we were having pork with milk sauce. But being the brave one I am (and knowing there's always the family restaurant down the street) I sat down to give it a shot.

I was really surprised. The sauce wasn't as bland as I was assuming a milk sauce would be, it was actually quite delicious! And paired with the pork it was just fabulous. T hunted out the recipe from Mario Batali's new book Italian Grill which features one of our favorite chef's grillin for NASCAR. There are some great recipes in this one and this Grilled Pork Loin with Milk Sauce is one of them!

Serving: 6

Ingredients:
3 tbsp kosher salt
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp ground fennel seeds
1 -4lb pork loin roast
8 garlic cloves, smashed
2 tbsp olive oil

Milk Sauce
3/4 Extra virgin olive oil
12 garlic cloves
2 spanish (red) onion
1 fennel bulb
2 cups whole milk
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp hot red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:
Combine salt, sugar, pepper, and ground fennel in small bowl and mix. Season pork all over with spice rub. Make deep incisions in meat, stuff garlic cloves in incisions. Place roast on platter. Let stand at room temp for 30 mins or let marinade overnight in the fridge.

Coat roast with olive oil. Set grill for indirect heat. Cook roast on cooler part of grill for 1.5 hours or until internal temp reaches 145-150 degrees. Remove roast from grill and allow to rest for 20 minutes.

Milk Sauce
Combine 1/4 cup of olive oil and garlic in pot set over low heat. Half onions length-wise then cut into 1/2 inch slices and add to pot. Cut fennel into half inch slices and add to pot. Increase heat to med-low, stirring frequently until onions and fennel are very soft, about 15 minutes.

Add milk, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes to the pot and bring to boil. Low heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat. After cooled, puree mixture in blender or food processor until smooth.

Slice pork and serve with milk sauce.

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