Fistfuls of fresh herbs, fragrant strips of orange peel, and plenty of garlic perfume the wine-infused braising liquid that penetrates this essential Corsican comfort food. The resulting jus is vibrant and richly seasoned; ladle extra over the polenta on each plate.
1 (2-pound) boneless center-cut pork loin, tied with kitchen twine
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound white button mushrooms, quartered
8 small white spring onions (about 10 ounces), trimmed, white parts only
3 large garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup (4 ounces) Corsican Muscat wine
1 cup lower-sodium chicken stock
3 rosemary sprigs
6 thyme sprigs
8 (3-inch) orange peel strips
Cooked polenta, for serving
Preheat oven to 400°F. Sprinkle pork evenly with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high.
Add pork to pan; cook over medium-high, undisturbed, until golden brown on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn pork. Repeat until each side is browned, about 12 minutes. Remove pork from skillet, and set aside.
Add mushrooms, onions, and garlic to pan; cook over medium-high, stirring often, until liquid from mushrooms has released and evaporated, about 8 minutes. Add wine; cook, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan, until wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add stock, rosemary, and thyme; cook, undisturbed, 3 minutes. Return pork to pan. Cover, transfer to preheated oven, and roast until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of meat registers 130°F, about 30 minutes.
Remove pan from oven. Transfer pork to a cutting board; let rest 5 minutes. Meanwhile, add orange peel strips to mushroom mixture in pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high; boil until sauce has slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Discard orange peel strips, rosemary, and thyme.
Remove and discard twine from pork. Slice pork against the grain. Serve over polenta with mushroom mixture.
