Pork Roast with Sagey Onions

This is the first recipe I ever used for pork roast as a young, new bride. The sage is obviously a dominant flavor in this dish, but a delicious one! Onions are cooked until tender and then seasoned with sage and placed as a bed for the partially roasted meat as the meat continues to cook. I would normally use a pork loin roast when making this dish, though I used a shoulder roast this time. My sides were roasted pencil thin asparagus (one of my favorite vegetables!) and smashed baby Yukons, seasoned with salt & pepper and a smidge of Dijon mustard, which provides for a nice change in flavor from the usual mashed potatoes!


Roast Pork with Sagey Onions


4-pound boneless pork top loin roast (double)
Salt
Pepper
2 pounds yellow onions, peeled and quartered
1-1/4 teaspoons ground sage
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Gravy (recipe to follow)


Place pork roast fat side upon rack in shallow roasting pan. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Do not add water. Do not cover. Place in oven and roast at 325 F. for 1-1/2 hours.


Fill a medium pan with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Add onions. Cover and bring back to a boil. Cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes; drain. Chop onions coarsely; stir in sage, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove pork and rack from pan; pour off drippings, reserving 1/4 cup. Mound onion mixture in center of pan and place pork on top. Continue to roast until meat thermometer registers 165 F., about 45 minutes - 1 hour.


Gravy
Mix reserved 1/4 cup drippings and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in 2 cups water. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.


Source: Betty Crocker's Cooking American Style - A Sampler of Heritage Recipes, copyright 1976