I first made this Barbecue Pork Roast last summer, while we were packing for the Eternal Move of ’08. I opened the freezer, expecting an icy plastic tundra of popsicles and edamame, but underneath the boxes and bags, there it was: an eight-pound pork loin. Something to eat that was neither fast food nor peanut butter. So, I thawed it, marinated it overnight and roasted it the next day while we packed. For those two hours, the house smelled like Sunday lunch at Grandma’s, with the tiniest amount of effort from us.

If your schedule starts getting a little hectic, and you need dinner to go on autopilot, give this roast a try. It’s incredibly versatile. I love the slices on their own, but Jeff eats them with biscuits and eggs for breakfast and piles the slices on sandwiches for lunch.

The marinade adds a surprising amount of flavor to the pork, so give it a taste before you add any barbecue sauce. Unless it’s Jack Daniel’s® Barbecue Sauce, because we support the local recipe. Now, let’s roast!

Barbecue Pork Roast

From Paula Deen’s “The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook”

  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 3 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (4-pound) pork loin roast
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce

1. In a small bowl, combine Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, salt, celery seed, pepper, and garlic. Place pork loin roast in a large plastic resealable bag and pour marinade over pork loin. Seal and marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight). Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Remove roast from bag, place in a roasting pan, and discard marinade. Roast pork loin at 325 degrees F for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or to an internal temperature registers 160 to 170 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Serve with BBQ sauce.