Roasted Pork In Garlic Tomato Sauce is an easy dinner and one of the most delicious recipes. This roasted pork is tender, juicy, aromatic, and very inviting. It is also made in no time.
A Romanian recipe traditionally made on weekends, for special occasions, or during the holidays. It is ready in about an hour and usually served with mashed potatoes or French Fries and pickles.
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.
Shopping List:
- Pork slices- about 1 inch thick
- Garlic- I encourage you to use garlic cloves and not garlic powder in this dish.
- Vegetable oil
- Tomato puree- or crushed tomatoes
- Dried thyme
- Bay leaves
How to make this roasted pork in garlic tomato sauce:
Preferred cuts of pork:
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 in about one inch thick pieces.
I used the boneless pork loin this time because it is wildly available where I live and cheaper, especially when you buy the whole cut and slice it yourself.
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.
Anyway, look at this beauty, isn't that wonderful?
I have no doubts that you will fall in love with this dish.
It takes about 5 minutes to put the recipe together and an hour and fifteen minutes to roast the meat.
Then, it is absolutely delicious. I always said that the simplest ingredients make the best food.
And finally, it is a dish that looks good on the table. You can make it for fancy occasions, but you can also have it for dinner any day of the week.
Leftovers are good too. I think the next day this dish tastes better because the ingredients get friendly with each other. However, good luck hoping for leftovers!
While the meat is in the oven, boil some potatoes and mash them. The combination of pork in garlic tomato sauce and mashed potatoes is divine.
You also need some good rustic bread if you prefer it without potatoes. Dipping some bread in that sauce is everything you need for a comforting and satisfying meal.
A glass of dry red wine would nicely complement the meal and make it perfect.
This pork dish is a good option for the entire family. Children usually like it too, especially if you serve it with mashed potatoes. It is for sure a comforting and delicious dish.
Suggestions for other pork recipes:
Chickpeas Green Beans With Pork And Spanish Chorizo
Roasted Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
Pork Chops With Roasted Vegetables
Roasted boneless Center Cut Pork chops with Red Wine
34 Best Roasted Pork Recipes For Christmas
Traditional Romanian Sour Soup with Pork and Vegetables
Check out the web story for this recipe: How to make Roasted Pork In Garlic Tomato Sauce
📖 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.
Anonymous says
Anonymous says
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. 🙂