Peggy Lampman's Monday dinnerFeed: Roast pork with a mojito-styled marinade

Cooking times vary according to various idiosyncrasies, including oven calibrations, temperature of the roast when it is put into the oven and the size of the roast.

To insure your roast is cooked to perfection, always use a food thermometer and insert it into the thickest part of your roast. Count on the temperature of your roast to rise 5 degrees as it rests when removed from the oven.

I always remove pork roasts from the oven when the roast registers 150Ëš degrees I let the pork rest 10 minutes, the temperature rises to 155 degrees, and it is cooked to perfection. Often cooking instructions recommend cooking pork to a higher internal temperature, but I have found these recommendations yield a dry and tough roast.

I'm making a large roast today because I plan on using leftovers in a Cuban Bean and Rice dish planned for tomorrow. I'll soak a cup of black beans tonight so they'll be ready to simmer tomorrow.

Yield: 8 servings
Marinate Time: 24 hours
Active Time: 15 minutes
Roast Time: apx. 60 minutes
Cost: Approx. $10 (depending on price of pork)

Ingredients

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
3/4 cup orange juice
1/3 cup dark rum
6 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped mint
1, 2 1/2-3 pound boneless pork loin roast

Directions

1. In a bowl or resealable zippered plastic bag, combine juices, rum, 3 tablespoons sugar, garlic and mint. Add pork and let marinate 24 hours. If liquid not completely covering pork, turn over after 12 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Remove pork from marinade and pat dry. Place marinade in a pan, with 3 tablespoons brown sugar, bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and simmer until slightly thickened.
4. On a lightly oiled, foil-lined baking sheet, or broiler pan, place pork, fat side down.
Roast 30 minutes then remove from oven. Baste with glaze, then turn roast fat side up. Brush top with glaze.Return to oven and roast 30 minutes longer or until a thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 155 degrees.