ROAST PORK LOIN WITH TARRAGON CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• With the tip of a sharp knife, cut slits 3/4 inch (2 cm) deep all over the pork loin. Insert the garlic slivers into the slits. Sprinkle the meat generously with salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan.
• Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the loin away from the bone registers 135°-140°F (57°-60°C) for medium, about 55 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest while you make the sauce.
• In a sauté pan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot and sauté slowly until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and let cook until almost totally evaporated, about 5 minutes. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of the mustard and the cream and simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the tarragon and season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more mustard or tarragon. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
• To serve, carve the pork roast into single chops with the bone and arrange on a warmed platter or individual plates. Spoon the sauce over the chops.
• Enriching sauces
• Enriching, or finishing, a sauce with cream adds a bit more fat, but it gives the sauce a luscious, velvety quality. Always use heavy (double) cream for this step. Its high fat content keeps it from curdling at high temperatures.