I recently served this roast for the Thanksgiving holiday, thinking a departure from the usual turkey would be a welcome surprise—and it definitely was. The sweetness from the mustards absorbs into the meat, while the bacon keeps it nice and moist and adds a wonderful smokiness. Served over a lightly dressed fresh arugula salad, this will become a fast favorite—I promise.

　　

Ingredients

6 servings

　　

Roast

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

　　2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

　　2 tablespoons honey

　　2 garlic cloves, minced

　　2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves

　　1 (3 1/2-pound) center-cut, boneless pork loin roast

　　12 slices (about 1 pound) bacon

　　

Salad

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

　　3 tablespoons olive oil

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　5 cups (5 ounces) baby arugula

　　

Special Equipment

Kitchen twine

　　

Step 1

For the roast: Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 2

In a small bowl, mix together the Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, honey, garlic, and rosemary until smooth. Spread the mustard mixture evenly over the pork. Starting at one end, wrap a piece of bacon around the pork. Wrap another slice of bacon around the pork, making sure to slightly overlap the first piece. Continue with the remaining bacon until the pork is fully wrapped in bacon. Using 6 to 8 pieces of kitchen twine, tied at regular intervals around the roast, secure the bacon in place.

　　

Step 3

Place the pork in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and roast for 1 hour. Cover the pan loosely with foil and roast for another 10 to 20 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork registers 160°F. Remove from the oven. Cover the pan with foil again and allow the pork roast to rest for 20 minutes. Remove the kitchen twine and slice the meat into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

　　

Step 4

For the salad: While the pork is resting, in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and oil until smooth. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.

　　

Step 5

Arrange the arugula on a large platter and drizzle with the dressing. Lay the pork slices on top and serve.

　　Giada at Home by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2010 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.