Pork Loin and Apricots with Beer-Mustard Sauce

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 pork loin, approximately 4 pounds
salt to taste
3 tablespoons cracked black peppercorns
1 tablespoon mild paprika
4 tablespoons packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1 1/2 cups lager style beer, or up to 4 cups (see note)
1 large onion, sliced
1 1/2 cups dried apricots
2 teaspoons apricot preserves
2/3 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub the roast generously with salt,
pepper and paprika.

Spread the sugar on a cutting board. Spread the mustard over the pork
and roll it in the sugar. Place the roast in a roasting pan and add 1
1/2 cups of the beer, the onion and the apricots. Roast for 45
minutes, pour the rest of the beer into the pan and continue roasting
until the juices run clear when tested with a skewer and the internal
temperature reads 150 to 160 degrees, about 45 minutes.

Remove the pork from the roasting pan and cover loosely with foil.
Place the pan with the pan juices on a burner and add the apricot
preserves, stirring to dissolve. Add the stock, ketchup and
Worcestershire sauce and cook over medium-high heat until a little
reduced, about 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden
spoon. Reduce the heat to low and drizzle in the cornstarch mixture.
Cook until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a
sauceboat.

Slice the meat into thin slices and serve accompanied by the sauce.

Note:

Take a good look at the amount of liquid in the roasting pan at the
halfway mark before adding more beer. Depending on your taste, the
initial 1 1/2 cups provided plenty of liquid for the sauce.

For a finer more pourable sauce, chop the apricots before adding them
to the pan, or purée the finished sauce in a food processor or blender
(work in batches so the hot liquid doesn't overflow.)