UntrainedChef

Smoked Pork Loin with Creamy Potato Gratin

2 hr
2 portions

Sunday dinner doesn't get much better than this — smoky pork, silky potato gratin, and a proper red wine sauce.

Instructions

  1. 1

    Put the pork loin in an oven-safe dish and insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part. Place it in the oven preheated to 140 °C.

  2. 2

    While the pork is in the oven, get started on the potato gratin. Peel the potatoes, onion, and garlic. Slice the potatoes and onion thinly, finely chop the garlic and fresh thyme. Rinse the potato slices and let them drain a bit to remove some starch. Layer the potatoes in a buttered oven dish, sprinkling garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper between each layer until everything is in.

  3. 3

    Bring the cream to a boil and let it reduce for 2–3 minutes. Pour it over the potatoes and put the dish in the oven alongside the pork.

  4. 4

    Let the pork and potato gratin cook until the thermometer reads 68 °C — that takes about 1.5–2 hours. By then the potatoes should be completely tender too.

  5. 5

    While everything's in the oven, start the red wine sauce. Finely chop the shallots and fry them quickly in a saucepan with a little oil. Pour in the red wine and reduce until only a quarter remains — it should look almost like marmalade. Add the beef stock and reduce by half, about 15 minutes. Strain the sauce, keep it warm, and just before serving whisk in cubes of cold butter. Season with salt and pepper.

  6. 6

    While the sauce is reducing, prep the sides. Finely chop the shallots, clean and cut the mushrooms into fairly large pieces, and cut the broccoli into florets.

  7. 7

    Take the pork out when it hits 68 °C and let it rest for about 10 minutes. While it rests, poke a sharp knife into the potatoes to check they're tender. If they're not quite there, leave them in and crank the oven up to 200 °C — they'll be done quickly.

  8. 8

    Scatter the grated cheese over the potato gratin and put it back in the oven at 200 °C until the cheese is melted and golden, about 5–10 minutes.

  9. 9

    Fry the mushrooms in a hot pan with oil and butter until they get some colour. Pull the pan off the heat, season with salt and pepper, and fold in the shallots.

  10. 10

    Cook the broccoli in plenty of salted water for about 3–4 minutes until tender.

  11. 11

    Slice the pork and serve on a large platter or plate it up individually.

Per average serving

153
Calories
kcal
2.3
Protein
g
6.1
Carbs
g
3.2
Fat
g
0.4g
Fiber
2.3g
Sugar
435mg
Sodium

Tips from the kitchen

  • Rinse the potato slices well and let them sit in a colander for a few minutes before layering. The less surface starch, the better the cream absorbs into each layer instead of turning gluey.
  • The red wine reduction needs patience. When it looks almost like marmalade and coats the back of a spoon thickly, that's when you add the stock. Rush it and the sauce tastes sharp and boozy rather than deep.
  • Cold butter matters for the sauce. Cut it into small cubes and keep them in the fridge until the last minute. Whisk them in off the heat, one or two at a time. Hot butter will split the sauce.
  • The pork is done at 68°C but pull it out and tent it loosely with foil while you finish the cheese on the gratin. Ten minutes of resting makes a real difference to how juicy the slices are.
  • Mushrooms need a hot, dry pan to get colour. If you crowd them or add butter too early, they steam and go grey. Get them golden first, then pull the pan off the heat before adding the shallots so they don't burn.

Ways to vary it

  • If you want a slightly lighter gratin, you can swap half the cream for whole milk. It won't be quite as silky but it still works well, and the cheese on top carries a lot of the richness anyway.
  • The mushrooms and broccoli are the sides here, but swapped-out vegetables work fine. Green beans or roasted root vegetables hold up well next to the pork and sauce if that's what you have.
  • For a stronger cheese flavour on the gratin, use a mix of gruyère and parmesan instead of a single cheese. The parmesan crisps up nicely on top.

Storage & leftovers

Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3 days. The gratin reheats best in the oven at around 180°C covered with foil, then uncovered for the last few minutes to crisp the top again. The pork slices can be gently warmed in a pan with a splash of stock so they don't dry out. The sauce freezes fine on its own, but the gratin doesn't freeze well.

What to serve with it

A simple green salad with a sharp mustard dressing cuts through the richness nicely. Good crusty bread on the table for the sauce is never a bad idea either.

UC
By Untrained ChefPublished 2 July 2026

Related Recipes

Shepherd's Pie - lamb, baked recipe

Shepherd's Pie

1 hr 20 min

One of those dinners that makes everyone happy — rich lamb and vegetables under a blanket of creamy mashed potatoes with a golden cheese top.

lambbakedcomfort food
Carrot Soup with Pork Strips - soup, pork recipe

Carrot Soup with Pork Strips

40 min

Thick, velvety carrot soup that actually fills you up — the pork strips on top make it a proper dinner, not just a starter.

soupporkdinner
Reindeer shavings with warm cabbage salad - norwegian, asian recipe

Reindeer shavings with warm cabbage salad

40 min

Norwegian reindeer with an Asian twist — the combo of ginger, chili, soy, and honey with the meat is surprisingly good.

norwegianasianmeat