Whether you already know you love the spicy, earthly flavors of a good harissa sauce or want to give it a try for the first time, this recipe will not disappoint. I use our Tomato Harissa Sauce recipe that we waterbath-can each year, making this quick and easy to prepare. If you have not pre-made our sauce and want to use your own red harissa paste (homemade or store-bought), I’ve included the substitutions in the recipe notes below. The small amount of honey adds a subtle sweetness to the harissa’s spiciness while the Preserved Lemon brings additional complexity to the sauce.
After combining the Harissa Tomato sauce, oil, honey, preserved lemon and salt, pour over the roast in a gallon size sealable zipper bag. Seal the bag and refrigerate overnight (minimum 4 hours) to marinade.
Dutch ovens (cast iron) are made for recipes like this, so if you have one, this is the time to use it. They are superb cooking vessels that cook the meat evenly, while keeping it moist and juicy. If you don’t have a dutch oven, a heavy stoneware casserole can be used. Place the roast and sauce in the pan, making sure there is a little sauce under the roast and covering the surface of the meat. I always place a piece of parchment paper over the pan, before covering with the lid. This helps create a more airtight seal and more even cooking.
Pork loin roast is the cut above the ribs, between the shoulder and back legs and is leaner than the shoulder and butt. I oven braised it just until the pork was tender and no longer pink in the center, about 2 hours. With the leaner loin roast, it is important not to overcook the meat, so I always use a thermometer, removing the roast as soon as the internal meat temperature reaches 157° F (69° C). Since the meat is oven braised you can use a pork shoulder, but will need to be cooked until fork tender, about 3 1/2 hours.
This roast is tender and moist, with a subtle caramelized sweetness and the spicy, earthy flavors of the harissa sauce permeate each delectable bite. Paired with a simply prepared couscous, this dish is perfection. Enjoy!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 6-8servings | 30minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 2-3 1/2hours | 4-12hours |
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- 4 - 5lb (2 k) pork Loin Roastnot tenderloin
- 1 1/2cups (360 ml) harissa tomato saucesee recipe link below
- 1/4cup (60 ml) olive oil
- 1 lemon
- 1tsp salt, kosher
- 1Tbs preserved lemonoptional *
- 2Tbs honey
- parchment paper
- meat thermometer
- dutch ovenor stoneware casserole
- Combine the Harissa Tomato sauce, oil, honey, preserved lemon and salt, mixing thoroughly. Place the roast in a gallon size sealable zipper bag. Pour the sauce mixture over the meat and seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. The sauce should cover all surfaces of the pork roast. Refrigerate while marinating overnight or a minimum of 4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 325° F (160° C). Cut a piece of parchment 2-3 inches (5-8 cm) larger than the top of the cooking vessel. Place the marinade and pork roast in the dutch oven or casserole, pouring some of the marinade over the roast. Lift an edge of the roast just enough to allow some of the sauce under the bottom of the roast. Place the piece of parchment on top of the dutch oven, before covering with the lid.
- Bake just until the meat is no longer pink in the center, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Remove the roast from the oven as soon as the internal meat temperature reaches 157° F (69° C). It will continue to cook for a few minutes, reaching the required safe pork temperature of 160° F (71° C).
- Allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Recipe links -
Substitutions -
Harissa Tomato Sauce - substitute with 8-10 oz (1- 1 1/4 cups) harissa paste mixed with 4 oz (1/2 cup) drained stewed tomatoes and one-half yellow onion, minced.
Preserved lemon - substitute one tablespoon lemon juice