Prepare Brine

Place 1 cup of water, smashed garlic and black peppercorns in a small sauce pan and cook on high heat until the mixture starts to come to a boil. Remove from heat. Cool down mixture by adding ice and stir in brown sugar and salt.

Put 3 cups of water in a container that will hold at least five cups of water. Pour the cooled brine mixture in with the water and stir to combine. Add pork loin to brine and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours. Flip meat over half way through brining time.

Sear Pork Loin

Remove pork loin from brine and pat dry with a paper towel. Allow meat to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Place lard in a large skilled and turn on burner to medium to medium high heat. Allow pan to get hot and then place pork loin into hot grease and sear all six sides until you get a nice brown coating. Now, see all that goodness on the bottom of the pan, the pan drippings? This is the fond in which will be used to make the gravy. So, set this pan aside for now because this is what’s going to give the gravy its wonderful flavor.

Bake Pork Loin

After the pork has been seared place the meat in a baking dish or baking pan lined with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven uncovered until the internal temperature of the pork loin reaches at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a meat thermometer I highly recommend getting one. Check out this instant read thermometer on Amazon. When the meat has reached temperature remove from oven and cover with foil and move onto making the gravy.

Make the Gravy and Serve

Whisk the flour and half and half together until smooth and lump free. Place the butter in the fond pan over medium heat. Add the flour/milk mixture, salt and pepper and stir until fully combined. If there was any juices in the pan after baking the pork loin go ahead and add it to the gravy pan. Add a little bit of chicken broth. Continue to stir gravy over medium heat. If the gravy is too thick add a little more broth until desired constancy is achieved.

Slice pork loin to desired thickness. Serve with mashed potatoes (if desired) and gravy. Check out my “Side Dishes Vegetables” for ideas to serve with the pork loin.