Roasted Pork In Garlic Tomato Sauce is a scrumptious and easy-to-make dinner option. It's tender, juicy, and full of flavor, making it an irresistible dish that comes together quickly.
This dish, a cherished Romanian recipe, is often prepared for weekends, special events, or holiday gatherings. It takes about 5 minutes to put the recipe together and an hour to roast the meat.
Also a favorite on the Christmas table, this roasted pork in garlic tomato sauce sits proudly next to Stuffed Cabbage Rolls(Sarmale), Vegetables Beef Salad(Salata De Boeuf), Romanian Meatballs Sour Soup(Ciorba De Perisoare), and the Romanian version of Panettone called Cozonac.
You cannot go wrong with these dishes for any holiday.
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💝 Why you will love this recipe:
- Simple yet Flavorful: Combines basic ingredients like pork, garlic, tomato puree, and herbs for a deliciously tender and aromatic dish.
- Visually Appealing: Looks great on the table, suitable for fancy occasions as well as casual dinners.
- Versatile Serving Options: Pairs well with mashed potatoes, French fries, salad, rustic bread, and pickles.
- Better as Leftovers: Flavors blend and intensify overnight, making it even more tantalizing the next day.
- Easy and Accessible: Ingredients like pork shoulder or tenderloin, garlic, and tomato sauce are readily available and easy to prepare.
📝 Ingredients you need
- Pork slices: The traditional cut of pork for this dish is usually the pork shoulder. If you prefer a less fatty pork cut, use pork tenderloin or boneless pork loin and slice it into about one-inch thick pieces. I used the boneless pork loin this time because it is widely available where I live and is cheaper, especially when you buy the whole cut and slice it yourself.
- Garlic: I encourage you to use garlic cloves and not garlic powder in this dish.
- Vegetable oil: I opted for sunflower oil, but feel free to use olive oil or your preferred vegetable oil instead.
- Canned Tomato puree: You can also use canned crushed tomatoes
- Dried thyme, Bay leaves.
👩🍳 How to make this roasted pork in garlic tomato sauce
Step 1. Preheat the oven. While you prepare the pork and the tomato sauce, the oven is heating up.
Step 2. Prepare the meat. Season each slice with salt and pepper and place them in a roasting pan large enough to accommodate all of them in one layer. (I used a large pan)
Make sure you use a roasting pan big enough to accommodate all slices of meat in one layer. The tomato and garlic sauce will cover the meat pieces during baking.
Step 3. Make the sauce and pour it over the meat. Start by crushing the garlic. In a measuring cup, place the crushed garlic and a little salt over and mix well. Add oil and constantly stir until you obtain an emulsified paste. Pour over the tomato sauce, and add the dried thyme and water.
Combine everything well, taste for salt and pepper, and pour the liquid over the meat. Add a few bay leaves. You can use canned crushed tomatoes or tomato puree. The idea is to have enough liquid to cover the meat and enough tomatoes to obtain a relatively thick sauce to coat the pork slices.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes. Uncover the roasting pan and bake for another 15 minutes.
The meat should be tender and cooked through. From my own experience, an hour is more than enough for the pork to become tender, but keep in mind that you have to increase the baking time if the pork slices are thicker.
🍽️ How to Serve This Delicious Dish
Once your Roasted Pork in Garlic Tomato Sauce is ready, you're in for a treat! Serving this dish is as enjoyable as cooking it. Here's how to make the most of this mouth-watering meal:
- Plating the Pork: Arrange the succulent pork slices on a warm plate. Be sure to spoon over some of that rich, flavorful tomato garlic sauce for added zest.
- Side Dish Selections: This dish pairs wonderfully with a variety of sides. For a classic touch, go with smooth mashed potatoes or crispy French fries. A fresh salad adds a nice crunch and balance to the meal. And don’t forget some rustic bread – perfect for soaking up the extra sauce!
- Adding the Extras: To elevate the dish further, consider serving it with some pickles. Their tanginess complements the savory pork beautifully.
- Presentation Tips: For a touch of elegance, garnish with a sprinkle of fresh herbs or a few bay leaves. Serving this dish on a platter family-style allows everyone to help themselves and adds a communal feel to your meal. If you entertain, a glass of dry red wine would nicely complement the meal and make it perfect.
❄️ How to store
Refrigerator. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat gently to retain the moisture of the pork.
Freezer. Store in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat thoroughly before serving.
🙋♀️ Recipe faqs
Garlic adds a key flavor, but if you're not a fan, you can reduce the amount or omit it. For a twist, try adding onions or herbs like rosemary for a different flavor profile.
Yes, preparing it a day ahead allows the flavors to meld beautifully. Just reheat in the oven or on the stove before serving.
🥘 Suggestions for other pork recipes:
📖 Recipe
Roasted Pork In Garlic Tomato Sauce- An Easy Dinner
Ingredients
- 2.2 pounds pork shoulder or pork tenderloin sliced in about one inch thick pieces
- ½ medium garlic head (about 4-5 garlic cloves peeled and crushed)
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups tomato puree or crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2-3 bay leaves optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F/200C.
- Slice the pork into one inch thick pieces. Season each slice with salt and pepper and place them in a roasting pan large enough to accommodate all of them in one layer. (I used a 9x13inches)
- In a measuring cup, add the crushed garlic and a pinch of salt. Add oil, spoon by spoon, stirring continuously until you obtain an emulsified paste.
- Add the tomato puree, dried thyme, and water.
- Stir and taste for salt and pepper.
- Pour the tomato sauce over the meat and make sure the pork slices are completely covered in sauce. Add the bay leaves.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake it at 400F for about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking the meat for another 15 minutes.
- Serve it with mashed potatoes, French Fries, salad, rustic bread for dipping in the sauce, and pickles.
Notes
- Pork Cut Choices: While pork shoulder or tenderloin are ideal for tenderness, feel free to experiment with other cuts. Just adjust cooking times accordingly.
- Garlic Intensity: Love garlic? Feel free to add more. Not a fan? Reduce the amount or replace it with onions or herbs like rosemary for a different flavor.
- Tomato Puree Substitutes: You can use tomato sauce instead of tomato puree. If the sauce is seasoned, adjust the other spices in the recipe.
- Spice it Up: Add red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the sauce for extra heat.
- Serving Suggestions: This dish pairs beautifully with mashed potatoes, French fries, fresh salad, rustic bread, and pickles. Choose sides that complement the rich flavors.
- Make-Ahead and Storage: This dish can be prepared a day in advance. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating Leftovers: Reheat gently in the oven or on the stove to maintain the moisture and flavor of the pork.
- Presentation Tip: Garnish with fresh herbs or bay leaves when serving to add a touch of elegance.
Georgia says
I made this the other night. I served it with some potatoes and Brussels sprouts. It was such an easy recipe to make after a long day at work.
The Bossy Kitchen says
Hi Georgia, Thank you for your comment. I am glad you liked the recipe. It is indeed an easy one and very good. Thanks for visiting.
Anatoli says
Made this for my grandparents, they really liked it. “Nice and old fashioned” I used leftover roast pork, with cabbage and asparagus. Thanks for sharing.
The Bossy Kitchen says
This is very cool. Thank you for taking the time to write a review.I am very happy you enjoyed the recipe.
Joyce A. Tomaselli says
Hello! Gabriela what size roasting pan do you use for this recipe? Do you change the temperature if you use a glass roasting pan? Do you add the bay leaves into the sauce mixture?
This recipe sounds wonderful!
The Bossy Kitchen says
Great questions, Joyce. You can use a big enough pan to accommodate the pork slices in one layer. Start with a 9x13inches pan and see if the meat fits. Add the bay leaves after you pour the sauce over the pork slices. Also, I would still bake the dish at the same temperature and it doesn't matter if you use a metal pan or a glass pan. However, if we would bake brownies, this detail would matter quite a bit.
Joyce A. Tomaselli says
@The Bossy Kitchen, Thank you very much! We love this recipe and are making it again tonight with pasta. Yum!!!
Niamh says
This turned out so good! I added fennel seeds to the sauce as well the thyme. So simple and easy to make.
Brian says
Might want to edit .The cut of Pork is a boneless pork loin not the tenderloin portion.
The Bossy Kitchen says
True. Thank you for letting me know. I made the correction.
tim harris says
can you make this in a slow cooker and if so, how long would you cook it for?
The Bossy Kitchen says
Yes, you can make this recipe in a slow cooker. I would follow the recipe exactly and place everything in the crock pot. Cook it for 3-4 hours on High or 6-7 hours on Low.
John says
Thanks. This is a great easy recipe. The tomato sauce is delicious with the garlic and oil and the pork juices that mix in during the roasting process. Have made it several times for regular dinners and with family guests and making it again tonight now that fall temperatures are back. 🙂